


Thoughts On A Lioness

by EmrysTheMerlin



Series: Life of a Lioness [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Albus Dumbledore Dies, Cedric Diggory Dies, Emotionally mature Neville, Female Harry Potter, Gen, Harriet Potter - Freeform, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Lily and James death mentioned, Manipulative Albus Dumbledore, Marauders Friendship (Harry Potter), Mentioned James Potter, Mentioned Lily Evans Potter, Motherly Minerva McGonagall, Protective Gryiffindors, Protective Remus Lupin, Protective Sirius Black, Sirius Black Dies, Sorry Not Sorry, just a bit, motherly molly weasley, some violence and blood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:34:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 23
Words: 49,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25250200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmrysTheMerlin/pseuds/EmrysTheMerlin
Summary: Harriet Lily Potter is something of a conundrum. Raised by Muggles then shoved into a world where everyone knows her name she is unprepared for what the next seven years might bring. Her teachers and friends muse on Harriet and her life.
Relationships: Albus Dumbledore & Harry Potter, Cedric Diggory/Harry Potter, Minerva McGonagall & Harry Potter, Neville Longbottom/Harry Potter
Series: Life of a Lioness [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1847065
Comments: 77
Kudos: 212
Collections: top tier hp fics





	1. Year One

Albus Dumbledore would admit that he hadn’t checked in on Harriet Lily Potter as often as he had wished to over the past eleven years. He felt a twinge of regret about that as he spotted her coming in with the new first years. She wasn’t easy to spot unless you knew what she looked like. But of course he’d known James and Lily so he easily spotted the tangled mane of black hair so like her fathers. Behind the curtain she used to hide from the rest of the world her skin was pale, curious bright green eyes taking in everything around her with the wonder of one experiencing magic for the first time. She was tiny, stick thin and slightly gangly, as though she hadn’t quite grown into herself yet. Minerva began to call the students in alphabetical order. When she finally reached Harriet’s name the hall let out a collective gasp. Whispers followed the girl as she made her way quickly to the stool. The hat slipped over her head, over those bright green eyes and the whole hall seemed to hold its breath. After what felt like an eternity the hat spoke. 

“Gryffindor!” The cheering was practically deafening. The Weasley twins were chanting ‘We got Potter!’ as the girl took off the hat and handed it back to Minerva who smiled warmly at her. She took off for her seat, near Percy Weasley who greeted her warmly and shook her hand. She pushed up large tapped glasses and smiled as the sorting ceremony continued. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Minerva McGonagall stepped carefully up the stairs to the girls dormitory, the other years didn’t need her but first years were always a bit touchy the first few nights. So she liked to introduce herself to them early. This years class was small, a refection of the times she was afraid. These were children born into a war, and one who’d ended it all in one night. Harriet Lily Potter had grown quite a bit since Minerva had seen her last, resting on the doorstep of Number Four Privet Drive bundled in blankets, blissfully unaware of the world around her. The only thing that remained the same was the lightning shaped scar on her forehead. It had never faded as most scars did and still looked as fresh as it had that night. Minerva frowned thinking of the family she’d observed for the better part of a day. She hoped they had proved kinder to the child than she’d predicted as she knocked on the door. 

But as she stepped into the room she knew her hopes were to be dashed. There were five four poster beds here, one for each girl. Their trunks already rested at the end of their beds. The girls were already ready for bed and the state of Harriet’s pajamas told Minerva worlds about the people who had raised her. The child was practically swimming in a sweater far too large for her. If she had to guess she would say it had once belonged to her cousin Dudley. But Minerva made no comment on it as she smiled around at the girls. 

“My name is Minerva McGonagall, I am your head of house, as well as your transfiguration teacher. I am here to make sure you feel safe here at Hogwarts, I want you to know that if you have any problems you can come to me and I will help you to the best of my abilities.” This statement was directed to all in the room but more so to the two who had no idea about the wizarding world before receiving their letters. Minerva had delivered Hermione Granger’s letter in person, explaining the situation to her parents. She’d wanted to do the same for Harriet but Dumbledore had insisted it be Hagrid. She’d spoken to him about it over tea, and she was still fuming about the Dursleys absconding with Harriet in an attempt to keep her from the wizarding world. An untrained Witch or Wizard was a dangerous thing, especially one who was forced to hide their powers. But as the girl stepped tentatively over to her, she smiled warmly. The eleven year old was holding a pair of taped glasses, the tape was fraying slightly and looked about ready to fall off. 

“Do you have any tape?” She asked it quietly as if worried she would be reprimanded for the request. Minerva shook her head and pulled her wand. She didn’t miss the slight flinch the girl gave as though she expected to be hit for such a simple request. Minerva tapped the glasses. 

“Repairo.” The glasses shuddered slightly as the metal knit back together, a small crack in the lens sealed as though it had never been there. For an extra measure Minerva silently vanished the tape from the glasses. They now shone good as new. The girl’s bright green eyes lit up with wonder as she slipped her glasses back on. 

“Thank you!” Minerva nodded but the state of the glasses had her a bit worried. She lowered her voice so the other girls wouldn’t hear her. 

“When was the last time you had a new pair of glasses?” Harriet grew meek again. 

“Two years.” She admitted just above a whisper and Minerva felt her blood boil. But she let none of her anger show. Instead she placed a hand on the girl’s shoulder gently. 

“I’ll talk to Madame Pomphrey about getting you some new glasses.” Again the look of wonder and joy lit those green eyes so like her mothers. She twisted a lock of black hair and grinned. 

“Thank you!” Minerva nodded and turned back to the rest of the room. 

“Try to get some sleep, your classes start tomorrow!” With that she left but she did not return to her office or the teachers apartments attached to it. Instead she stormed through the corridors to Dumbledore’s office. 

“Licorice Wand.” She spat at the Gargoyle which nodded and moved aside to allow her access. Dumbledore sat at his desk looking over a letter, likely from the minister if the harried owl on the spare perch in the room was any indication. He looked up when she entered fuming. He, as always, remained calm. 

“How could you leave a child with those monsters for eleven years!” She spat at him. He folded his hands as she set off on a rant. “I warned you! I told you what kind of people they were from the beginning! Remus warned you! He was at their wedding, the one Petunia Dursley didn’t deign to attend! And you expected them not to abuse Lily and James’ child!” She kept going on this bent for several minutes, elaborating on the hand me down clothes three sizes too big for the girl and the lack of care shown to her. The flinching spoke of corporal punishment for simple questions. Dumbledore allowed her to continue until she had run out of words. He nodded to the seat across from him and she sat down heavily. “What can justify that!” She demanded. The silence left behind from the question echoed for a moment. 

“Her safety.” He held up a hand as Minerva began to puff up like an angry cat. “When her mother died she invoked a magic older than any of us, perhaps older than Hogwarts itself.” Minerva paused. “While Harriet lives under the care of a blood relative of her mother’s she cannot be touched by Voldemort or his followers. Did you really think it was happenstance that none of the Death Eaters that slipped through the cracks found her in eleven years?” Minerva deflated. Dumbledore glanced at the papers on his table. “She may not have had the kindest of care, but she is alive. If I had placed her with any other family that might not be the case. If her maternal Grandparents were alive I would have placed her with them. They were more than accepting of the wizarding world, but they passed during the war. Petunia Dursley was the only option that was safe to leave her with.” Minerva rubbed the bridge of her nose. 

“I wish it wasn’t the case Minerva, believe me I do. But this is what’s safest.” Minerva shook her head as she stood. 

“I need to speak to Madame Pomphrey about getting her a new set of glasses, she hasn’t had a new one in two years Albus.” He frowned but nodded. She headed to the door. 

“Minerva.” She turned. “What was said here tonight does not leave this office. No one can know, or it puts her in more danger.” Minerva nodded and left hoping to keep her student out of danger as much as was possible. 

As it turned out that was very difficult. The girl had inherited James’ proclivity for mischief, though not the intent it seemed. It wound her up saving Hermione Granger from a twelve foot mountain troll, with the help of her friend Ron Weasley. After that the trio became inseparable. The first Quidditch match of the year came and went with a jinxed broom and a new group of people who seemed to adopt the Girl Who Lived. The Gryffindor Quidditch team was fiercely protective of their youngest member. Katie Bell, Angelina Johnson, and Alicia Spinet seemed to have adopted the girl as a surrogate little sister and Harry adopted a new hairstyle from the two, taming her mane of black hair into a haphazard braid. Minerva had walked in on them braiding her hair, carefully instructing her on how to do it herself should she need to. It also didn’t slip past her notice that brand new hair ties in Gryffindor colors appeared in the girl’s dormitory. Harriet seemed to become more confident after that. Wearing her hair back and even showing the scar with something akin to pride. It made Minerva proud to see her finally able to blossom. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Albus was kicking himself as he sped back to Hogwarts. He should have realized that the letter was a forgery. He should have known but it wouldn’t be the first time Cornelius Fudge had demanded his presence. The Minister had been writing to him nearly daily, asking advice and demanding to know when he could meet the Girl Who Lived. Albus had explained to him multiple times that the girl was a child and he would not have her life disrupted by politics at eleven years old. But this last letter hadn’t had a world about Harriet. Maybe that was what tipped him off, maybe it was the awful feeling in his gut that warned him something back at Hogwarts had gone horribly wrong. But whatever it was it had him landing at the astronomy tower and racing towards the third floor, just to check. It was good he did because two small figures almost ran headlong into him. Hermione Granger was nearly in tears and Ron Weasley had a bloody lump on his head. 

“She’s gone after the stone hasn’t she?” He was calm as he spoke but his heart was sinking so fast it was as if it had been thrown from the Astronomy tower. Hermione was the one who spat it out between tears. 

“Yes.” That was all he needed to hear. 

“Take Ronald to the hospital wing.” With that he took off at a run towards the third floor. He breezed past the obstacles. Most of them had already been beaten anyway. As he cast a refilling charm on the bottle that would get him to the stone though a cold breeze raced through the room and dread filled him. It was a familiar cold, the feeling of malevolence that accompanied it one that he had seen in red snakelike eyes. It was gone as fast as it had come and Dumbledore raced through the flames and into the final room. The scene awaiting him there was not a nice one. 

The mirror stood in the center of the room unscathed but without the stone encased within. His charm had been broken, and two bodies lay in the room. The first was larger, a man in purple robes with a matching turban unwound on the floor. The figure wasn’t moving or breathing. The shadow of a face rested on the back on his head and a puddle of blood oozed from the blistered skin of his face. But the second figure had Dumbledore rushing past his dead colleague. She was tiny splayed out on the floor black hair torn from her usual braid, the broken hair tie lost to the floor of the chamber somewhere. Her glasses were crooked on her nose and clutched in her hand was a blood red stone, her fingers now slightly lax around it. But she was breathing and he sighed in relief. Scooping her up off the floor he caught the stone as it tumbled from her grip. Tucking it away in his sleeve he got a better grip on the girl and swirled his wand in a complex gesture. The spells on the third floor dissolved and around him the rooms shifted back to the classrooms and halls they had been before the year started. A flick of his wand and the corpse of Professor Quirinus Quirrell was floated onto a desk and covered with a sheet that appeared from thin air. There would be time for that later. 

Another swirl of the wand and Fluffy, Hagrid’s three headed dog was returned to his place in the forest. But the rest could wait. He twitched his wand and he and Harriet vanished from sight, better to not be stopped. As he set off towards the hospital wing he cast a Patronus to inform the other teachers what was happening. Poppy Pomphrey was waiting for him when he arrived and became visible again, Harriet still dead to the world in his arms. She had done as he’d hoped and cleared out the Hospital Wing before he arrived. She quickly took the girl from him and set to work. He stepped outside to give them her a moment as Minerva rushed up to the door. 

“Is it true?” He nodded, grateful that the majority of the castle was asleep still.

“Yes. Professor Quirrell was working for Voldemort. He was after the stone. Severus was right.” She paled. 

“He didn’t get it, did he?” Dumbledore shook his head. 

“No, thanks to Harriet and her friends. Poppy is looking after her now. We’ll need to see to Quirrell’s body.” Minerva’s eyes widened. 

“Harriet didn’t…” Dumbledore shook his head. 

“No, I believe Voldemort was possessing him, and when defeated left him, pulling him apart from the inside as he went. He is in the third floor, the old charms room.” She nodded speed walking away. He turned back to the door. Madame Pomphrey was waiting for him. 

“She’s exhausted. Stress, overuse of magic, it was a strain on her. She’ll sleep through tomorrow. Though I’m guessing that’s best but she seems to have come out of this remarkably unscathed.” Dumbledore nodded. 

“Good. I have some things to take care of. Keep me informed if anything changes. I would like to be here to explain when she wakes.” Madame Pomphrey nodded. 

Term ended too quickly after his conversation with Harriet. He didn’t explain everything eleven was too young to know the whole truth, even with the evidence he’d been collecting of Voldemort’s horcruxes. She was too young for that yet. Too innocent. As he watched the train pull out of the Hogsmeade station he hoped that her summer would be better than the last eleven years and vowed to himself that he would write to Arabella Fig and check up on her more. He wanted this little lioness to do great things, but wished for her happiness in the time she had.


	2. Year Two (1)

Dudley Dursley wasn’t the sharpest pencil in the box but he’d always known his cousin was different. She was gangly and didn’t look like him much, too wiry and pale, with big green eyes that stared at the world as if she saw something he didn’t. He knew his parents didn’t treat her like family, more akin to a live in maid. But when she got home from her magic school they locked away her things and banned her from leaving the house save for a few occasions. He wasn’t sure why exactly they treated her like that but after his encounter with the big wizard Dudley wasn’t keen on magic or his cousin. Then the disaster of a dinner party happened and his father put bars on her window and refused to let her leave her room save short trips to the bathroom. He installed a flap on her door to pass meals through and everything. It felt like Dudley was living next door to a prison. So when some of her Wizarding friends broke her out it was sort of exciting, like watching a prison break happening live. He wondered if he would see her again next summer but shrugged, glad that at least he’d be able to sleep without her owl shrieking in the room next to his. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Molly Weasley loved her children. She had quite a few, two of whom had already moved out to start their own lives. The rest were at Hogwarts starting this year. She wondered what she would do with a fully empty nest for the first time in years. She checked on her children nightly, a habit left over from the final years of the war. When she found Fred and George’s room empty panic gripped her heart. She raced to her other children’s room. Ron’s was last since he was at the top of the stairs. He too was missing. Her heart hammered as she raced down to the garage where Arthur kept his flying car. It too was gone. She waited at the kitchen table as the night dragged on. Arthur was still at work, he’d had a long night that night something about a biting tea set in a nursing home. The paperwork was going to be a disaster, and she couldn’t exactly send Errol to the ministry with word that three of his sons had taken his flying car for a joyride. He would be in so much trouble at work if anyone found out. 

When they arrived safe and whole, unseen by muggles, she was beyond relieved. But they weren’t alone. Harriet Potter stood slightly behind her sons as though hiding from a reprimand as her sons defended their actions. They’d kept her locked up, put bars on her windows, they were starving her. Every reason her sons gave for rescuing the girl from her abusive muggle relatives was a knife in Molly’s heart. She hadn’t known Lily and James well. But she’d met them through the Order, briefly before they went into hiding. No parent would want their child treated like this. She sent her boys out to clear the garden of gnomes and asked Harriet to stay behind for a moment. 

“I’ll be honest, Arthur and I were quite worried when you never answered any of Ron’s letters. We were going to write to Dumbledore if you hadn’t answered by next week.” She’d have to write to him today now. Let him know that Harriet was safe and she would not be sending her back to that place. She could drop her off at the Hogwarts Express with her other children. She’d dealt with more kids than this before. “You can room with Ginny. We have a spare camp bed I’ll set up for you. But for now would you mind helping the boys in the garden. I’m afraid I’ve let the gnomes get a bit out of hand.” The girl grinned and nodded racing out after her boys. Molly sighed. That poor child had been through the ringer. She could see it in her eyes. She waved her wand to get breakfast started. When it was over and the boys were helping get Harriet situated in Ginny’s room, with Ginny pleased as punch to have another girl in the house, Molly sat down at a small cramped desk and pulled a piece of parchment to her. She explained the situation as best she could and offered to take Harriet in on a more permanent basis, not because she was the Girl Who Lived, but because she was Ron’s best friend and she was abused at home. She had bruises peeking out from underneath her overly large sweater sleeves. 

Dumbledore replied before the day was over, glad that Harriet was safe and sound. He allowed that she should stay at the Burrow for the rest of the short summer but insisted that, for reasons he couldn’t disclose, she would have to return to the Dursley’s for at least part of the summer next year. Molly argued, she didn’t want the girl to return to a place that was more like a prison than a home. But there was no arguing with Albus Dumbledore. So instead she decided that she would take this girl under her wing. She took Ginny and Harriet into the nearby wizarding village the next day Arthur had off and helped her the way her own mother had at twelve. The girl was woefully unaware of what a growing girl her age needed and Molly was convinced now more than ever that if she met her muggle relatives she would need to be restrained from harming them for mistreating this sweet child. Harriet insisted on paying since it was a wizarding village and she had the funds to do so. Since they were getting mostly things for her Molly allowed it. She was also as affectionate with Harriet as she was with Ginny and the girl seemed to bask in it, as though she had never received motherly love in her life. Molly didn’t like thinking that might be the case. 

They were all heading to Diagon Alley together via Floo powder. But when Molly arrived arrived at the Leaky Cauldron it was too a harried looking Arthur along with the twins, Percy, Ron and Ginny. There was no sign of Harriet. Molly was beside herself with worry. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Rubeus Hagrid cared deeply, it was what made him such a good caretaker for magical creatures. Outside of Hogwarts he didn’t have many friends. So he was quite protective of the ones he had. And he was glad that he could include Harriet Potter on that list of friends. He’d known her parents, had helped plant the Whomping Willow in his time, already expelled but kept on as game keeper. They’d always been kind to him, Lily had joined him for tea more than once, just as Harriet now did. So when he spotted her in Knockturn Alley of all places he quickly took charge of the situation guiding her back to more respectable streets. She was dusty and covered in the ashes indicative of Floo powder, she’d apparently stepped out the wrong grate. Her glasses were broken too. Soon though he managed to reunite her with the frantic Weasley’s who were more than grateful to him for finding her. He had Hogwarts business to take care of though so he left her in their capable hands. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“I still can’t believe your aunt and uncle would do that!” Hermione was beside herself as she, Ron and Harriet walked down Diagon Alley together. Harriet shook her head. 

“You’ve clearly never met my aunt and uncle.” Ron shook his head as the girls spotted a small boutique, the awning was frilly and pink, the sign in carefully spell crafted cursive. “Do you mind if we stop here, I need some new hair ties, Aunt Petunia threw most of mine out.” Neither objected though Ron decided he’d wait outside, claiming his unfinished ice cream as why he was doing so, not because he didn’t want to be seen in an utterly girly shop. The girls took their time and left with a few small bags laughing at something they’d found in the shop. But when they rejoined Ron the topic of conversation circled back to Dobby the mysterious house elf. That topic carried them to Flourish and Blots where they met the rest of the Weasley’s and Hermione’s parents. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Draco Malfoy sneered at Harriet and her friends as he and his father left the book shop. He couldn’t help but think about them though as they headed back to the Manor by side along apparition. Harriet Potter was well interesting. She wasn’t at all what he’d expected. He’d grown up hearing all about her, about how a baby had beaten the Dark Lord. He’d expected some godlike figure with power rolling off her. But she wasn’t anything like that, she was scrawny and knew nothing about the wizarding world. As bad as a muggle born really, confused by things he’d grown up his whole life with. But she was better than him at flying, her defense against the dark arts marks were higher than his and somehow she’d beaten the Dark Lord yet again last year. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that but he’d heard his parents arguing about it. They did that a lot, especially when it came to the Dark Lord. His father was afraid that he might return. His mother wanted to keep her head low, keep out of the limelight as much as possible. She’d convinced his father to get rid of some of the more incriminating things in the house, including a battered old book on the shelf that Draco had never been allowed to touch. But he hadn’t sold that to Borgin and Burkes. It simply wasn’t there after their trip to Diagon alley. Draco knew better than to ask questions though as he ordered Dobby to pack his things for school. He frowned as he settled down on his bed with a book before dinner.


	3. Year Two (2)

Albus was hoping this year would be different, calmer. He hoped that Harriet’s year would be uninterrupted by more dark schemes. Then the attacks began, she was revealed as a Parselmouth, and most of the school began to blame her for the petrification. Whispers that the Girl Who Lived was also the Heir of Slytherin spread like wildfire. It was all he could do to keep them contained to the castle. But he was proud that she kept her head up through the taunts and fear. 

When Miss Granger was attacked the whispers changed. Venom words turned to sympathy. Everyone knew that Harriet and Hermione might as well have been sisters and they all knew she would never hurt her friends. He was dismissed by the board of directors shortly after, Hagrid dragged to Azkaban. He left Fawkes behind to watch over the school. It was all he could do for now. He hoped that she was learning enough to get through this. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tom Riddle had known only a small corner of the world for what felt like an eternity. Echoes of memories, playing over and over through the pages of a diary he’d used to write secrets, formulas for spells, the secret of the chamber he’d discovered and opened in his youth. But then someone opened the book and began to write in it. A sweet child named Ginny Weasley. She talked about simple things, her brothers. Her mother and father, her worries about school. He indulged her, slowly draining her energy, using her as a conduit to start up his work again, to reopen the Chamber. But one thing she wrote about interested him. Harriet Lily Potter, the Girl Who Lived, the girl who as a child defeated Lord Voldemort. The concept that he could have lost to a mere child baffled him. He became obsessed with her, this dark haired mystery who treated Ginny as though she were a younger sister. When Ginny threw away the diary Tom grew frustrated, he couldn’t keep using her if she stopped using the diary. 

But the next person who wrote in the diary was not Ginny, it was better. Harriet Lily Potter was a curious little thing. She let herself be dragged into his memory, shown his capture of the oaf Hagrid, falsely blamed for the opening of the Chamber. He’d hoped it would impress her, push her to ask more questions, to write in the diary more, to open her heart to him as Ginny had. But it seemed to have shaken her. She stopped writing. When next his book was opened it was Ginny again, panicked that he might have told Harriet who was really opening the Chamber this time around. When she told him the school would be closing he knew he had only one shot to get at Harriet. So he forced her to write her own farewell on the wall, to open the Chamber one more time and climb down into its depths. He hoped Harriet would come and he wasn’t disappointed. When she showed up alone he was even happier. 

“She wont wake.” His words made her jump. She wasn’t quite what he’d expected. A little slow on the uptake, that he’d been the one who opened the Chamber, both times, the first as himself the next through Ginny. The look on her face when he revealed himself to be Lord Voldemort was delicious, righteous anger and just a hint of fear in those bright green eyes, nearly eclipsed by defiance. She snapped back at him, sassy if not as smart as he’d hoped. She was Dumbledore’s creature through and through though, and she was rewarded for her loyalty with a singing phoenix and a ragged old hat. So he set the basilisk after her, wandless, armed only with the hat and the songbird. The bird proved to be more of a nuisance, pecking out the eyes of the great snake, robbing it of its easiest method of killing but hardly the only method. Then she drew a great silver sword set with sparkling rubies from the depths of the hat. 

As his serpent lunged at her for a third time the blade of the sword drove true, up through the roof of its mouth killing it instantly. But the snake’s was not the only scream that echoed through the chamber as she yanked out the sword and the serpent fell. One of its long fangs was buried in her arm. She fell too and he laughed, striding over to her even as the phoenix flew past him. She pulled the fang from her arm but it would be too late. The venom of the basilisk was quick to work. Her bright green eyes were already slipping out of focus as he watched. He wondered if she could see, most likely not, so he described her last moments to her. Dumbledore’s bird was crying into the wound. 

He should have remembered that a phoenix’s tears held healing properties powerful enough to combat the venom of the basilisk. Both of them were startled when the phoenix returned with the diary, dropping the old book into Harriet’s lap. Before he could form a spell with her wand she had snatched up the fang that had nearly been her end and drove it into the heart of the book. He let out a blood curdling shriek as he felt himself unmade. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ginny came to slowly. She sat up slowly, looking around, trembling. She was still in the dank cave that was the Chamber of Secrets. But Tom was gone, looking around she spotted why. Harriet Potter was standing shakily at the opposite end of the chamber, in front of the blood soaked serpent that was nearly as long as the chamber itself. She burst into tears trying to explain to the older girl what had happened, that she hadn’t meant to do it. But Harriet seemed to already know as she slid a massive silver sword into the belt of her skirt and picked up her wand from the chamber floor. Ginny ran into her arms sobbing with abandon, uncaring that the older girl was soaked with ink and blood. There was a massive hole in her sleeve that looked burned but the skin underneath was blemished only by a small scar. 

Harriet led her out of the Chamber, Ron was waiting for them, carefully shifting rocks so they could get through what looked to be a massive cave in. Her brother held her close as he let out a shuddering sob of relief. They made their way back up the pipe with Fawkes’ help, Ron held onto her hand as though he was never letting her out of his sight again. She sniffled, what would he think when he found out the truth. Harriet had brought the diary with her, along with the sorting hat and the sword. Once out of the Chamber, which closed slowly behind them, Harriet seemed to know where to go, following the phoenix. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When Molly and Arthur received word that Ginny had been taken into the Chamber of Secrets, a threatening message written on the wall in the blood of a rooster their hearts had practically stopped. They’d dropped everything and raced to Hogwarts, only to be told when they arrived that Ron was now missing too, seeming to have disappeared from the Gryffindor Common Room with Harriet Potter. They were escorted to Professor McGonagall’s office where she struggled to make them feel more at ease. They were all stunned when Dumbledore showed up, though Professor McGonagall seemed relieved. Molly had collapsed into a chair by the fire and started to cry her eyes out. Dumbledore offered his condolences, he had always been kind and patient. But he seemed to be waiting for something. Ten or so minutes later they found out just what that something was as someone knocked on the door and pushed it open. 

They all looked a bit worse for the wear. Ron and Gilderoy Lockheart were covered in muck and slime, the Professor’s eyes were slightly cloudy and he had the dreamy expression of someone who had no idea of what was going on around him. Ginny was coated in the same mess as her brother along with ink stains and blood on her front but by far Harriet was the messiest of them. She was absolutely soaked in black ink and red blood. Her white undershirt was now tie dyed red and black. Her braid was tangled and there was a hole in her sleeve but they were all miraculously alive. Molly and Arthur rushed to their daughter first, just to make sure she was alright. They also hugged Ron and Harriet who carefully slid past them with the phoenix and laid three items on the desk in front of Dumbledore. The first was the sorting hat, the next a ruby encrusted sword near half as tall as the girl herself, and the last a diary with a hole burned through the center. It was soaked in ink. 

She was the one who told them the whole story as Arthur and Molly kept hold of their children they’d thought lost to them. She explained the disembodied voice in the walls, how Hermione had figured out that it had to be a snake inside the pipes, a basilisk to be specific. She told them about the colony of Acromantula in the forest of speaking to the leader Aragog. She answered McGonagall when asked how they had all gotten out of the Chamber alive, her voice growing ragged and she stopped short of explaining all of it, grateful to Dumbledore when he brought up Voldemort and the evil wizard’s hold over Ginny. She explained the diary, the teen figure of Tom Riddle emerging from the pages. 

“Miss Weasley should go to the hospital wing immediately, there will be no punishment. Older and wiser wizards than she have fallen victim to Lord Voldemort.” Harriet and Ron beamed at the news that Hermione would be alright. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Dumbledore was beyond pleased with Harriet. She had fought and one once again against the Dark Lord. When she revealed her uncertainties about her similarities to Lord Voldemort he comforted her as best he could. He hinted at what he suspected, that Voldemort had left a part of himself inside her. He assured her that choice was one of the most important distinctions between the two. The significance that she had been able to draw the sword of Godric Gryffindor from the sorting hat was not lost on either of them. But then Lucius Malfoy stormed in. He was quickly turned on his heal a veiled threat hanging over his head that if any more of Voldemort’s old things found their way into innocent hands there would be dire consequences. 

Dumbledore watched silently, through the eyes of a stone statue as Harriet tricked Lucius Malfoy into freeing his own house elf and he couldn’t help but be proud of her as she raced off to Gryffindor tower to change out of her bloodstained clothes. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hermione woke with a start sore and unsure where she was. The last thing she remembered was a pair of bright yellow eyes in a small hand mirror. She sat up and blinked, she was in the hospital wing. Madame Pomphrey made her way over to her smiling. She explained what had happened and that Harriet and Ron had found the answers and closed the Chamber for good. Hermione raced through the halls as soon as she was allowed out of the hospital wing out into the Great Hall where a giant pajama party served as the end of term feast. She flung herself at Harriet and Ron who both caught her as she bounced so proud of them for solving the mystery. Hagrid arrived at half past three and thanked them profusely for clearing his name hugging the two of them so hard Hermione thought she heard something crack. 

The rest of the term passed in a blur and Hermione couldn’t help but wonder if Harriet was being serious when she said her aunt and uncle would be furious she hadn’t managed to get herself killed. Hopefully Ron wouldn’t have to break Harriet out of her own house this summer, after all he no longer had a flying car to fall back on.


	4. Year Three (1)

Sirius Orion Black had been lounging in Azkaban Prison for twelve years. He was nearly certain that he didn’t have any happy memories left. Then he’d been visited by Cornelius Fudge on a routine checkup of the prison. The minister had deigned to give him the newspaper and the picture on the cover made his heart nearly stop. Not the family, though he recognized Molly and Arthur Weasley from the Order. No it was the rat on the shoulder of the second to youngest of their children. How many times had he seen Pettigrew turn into that little furred beast? Too often, and the boy was returning to Hogwarts where Harriet was supposed to be safe. He thought Pettigrew had killed himself that night along with the twelve muggles. It was the only reason he’d surrendered so easily. He’d thought Lily and James avenged. But now their betrayer sat in the perfect position to strike at their child should the opportunity arise. He had to do something. So he slipped between the bars an emaciated hound slipping past the dementors, vengeance burning away their cloying influence. He had to find Pettigrew and this time he would end him. But before heading for Hogwarts there was someone he had to see. 

She was easy to track. As a hound he knew her scent, unchanged from all these years. Why on Earth she was sitting on the side of the road on her school trunk, an empty owl cage sitting next to her, sobbing her eyes out he had no idea. He was afraid that he might have scared her as she spotted him and stumbled backwards, wand in her hand thrown out to catch herself. She ended up summoning the Knight Bus though he doubted that had been her intention as he slipped into the shadows. He watched her board and when the bus vanished he let out a howl of sorrow and regret. She had been the spitting image of James, with Lily’s wide curious eyes behind the large glasses. He wondered if her eyesight was nearly as bad as her fathers. He’d teased James relentlessly about his need for glasses. 

‘Don’t worry Prongs, I’ll make sure she’s safe.’ He thought to himself as he slunk off towards the school that had shaped so much of his life. He couldn’t help but think as he traveled. Of what had been, he’d been there the day Lily had given birth to Harriet. He had been the first of her pseudo uncles to hold the tiny squalling baby. He’d joked that she’d gotten her mother’s temper and Lily had wrinkled her nose at him from the bed. He and Remus had called her Prongslet, and little doe. Remus had been tentative about holding such a small life, he was so worried about hurting her, Sirius didn’t blame him she’d been so tiny. Pettigrew had never held her. The thought made his blood boil. Had he known even then that he would sign Lily and James death warrant even as James tried to convince him to hold the smallest Marauder.

The last time he’d seen her with her parents was when he talked Lily and James into using Pettigrew for their secret keeper instead. She had been in her crib laughing up at the floating mobile, Quidditch themed of course. James insisted that she would be the best Quidditch player Hogwarts had ever seen. He’d leaned over her crib and let her take hold of his finger with a chubby hand, tiny fingers curling around his as he ruffled her hair with his other hand. 

“This is goodbye for now Prongslet. Uncle Padfoot will miss you.” She’d burbled up at him. 

Then there had been that awful night. Word reached him quickly and he took off on his motorcycle, not caring if he was seen. When he landed in Godric’s Hollow the house was in ruins, the Fedelius charm shattered. The door was hanging open, the second floor was partially caved in. He raced inside the sounds of a wailing child fuel for his fear. He found James first. His bright hazel eyes glassy and empty where he lay at the bottom of the stairs, dead. It looked like he’d fallen, then been kicked aside. Sirius was already sobbing but the sound of Harriet bawling from upstairs spurred him past his fallen brother. Lily was in front of the crib splayed out as though she had fallen protecting her daughter. Her bright green eyes were empty just as James’ had been. But Harriet was still alive, by some miracle. There was no sign of Voldemort, only the half caved in roof. He thought he might have spotted a pale hand under the bricks but he wasn’t sure and sure as hell wasn’t going to look. He stepped around Lily as tears streamed down his face and gently picked Harriet up. It was no wonder the baby was screaming her lungs out. Her once clear forehead was marred by a fresh scar in the shape of a lighting bolt. He cradled her to him, glad he’d forgotten to zip up his leather jacket. 

“It’s okay.” The words practically stuck in his throat. But the baby in his arms was all that mattered right now and she seemed to recognize him. She calmed slightly reaching a tiny hand up. He let her take hold of his finger and smiled. “You’re safe now, Uncle Padfoot’s got you.” 

“Pa’foot.” Fresh tears spilled down his face as she burbled out his nickname again, well almost, she could quite manage the D yet. He had to get her out of here. He carefully picked up her blanket and wrapped it around her like Lily had shown him, tears still tracking lines down his face. Once she was bundled he cradled her in his arms and made his way out of the house, still speaking to her, not really words, empty placations meant to lull her back to sleep. He had no idea what to do. As he stepped outside a large figure appeared and he drew his wand ready to fight tooth and nail for the child in his arms but it was just Hagrid. He sobbed too at the news that Lily and James were gone. 

“Dumbledore sent me to find her.” Sirius glanced down at the baby in his arms, she had calmed but not fallen back asleep, still whimpering slightly. 

“I’m her godfather Hagrid, I’ll take care of her. It’s what James wanted.” Hagrid frowned. 

“I have orders from Dumbledore.” Sirius gripped his wand tighter but then, as a few more bricks fell behind him he realized something. He was the only person living who knew that Pettigrew had been the Potter’s secret keeper. Only he could avenge them. He nodded to Hagrid and carefully pressed a soft kiss to the black hair on the child’s head before handing her over. 

“Apparition with a baby isn’t a good idea. She get’s super fussy about it. Take my bike instead.” He wouldn’t be needing it. 

He shook his head, pulling himself out of the past as he made his way through the countryside. He needed to not think about that right now, he had a rat to find. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When Cornelius Fudge received word of an incident of accidental magic at the residence of Harriet Potter he grew worried and dispatched his best aurors and obliviators to the scene. When she wasn’t there and none of her relatives could account for her whereabouts he panicked. It hadn’t been too long ago that Sirius Black, notorious mass murderer and the reason the Potter’s had been found by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named in the first place, had escaped Azkaban and it was likely he was out to finish his mission and kill the last living Potter. On Dumbledore’s advice he raced to the Leaky Cauldron. True to the Headmaster’s assumption she appeared from the steps of the Knight Bus to the small Inn and the Minister breathed a sigh of relief. 

So he went a bit light on her letting her go with barely a verbal warning as long as she stayed in the Inn for the remainder of her summer and confined herself to the Wizarding streets of Diagon Alley instead of the streets of Muggle London. She seemed more than happy about this and he quietly placed a few Auror’s in the rooms next to hers only calling them off guard duty when the Weasleys arrived. It was good that Harriet was such close friends with Arthur’s children, it made it so much easier to keep an eye on her until he put her on the Hogwarts Express in person. It wouldn’t do for the Girl Who Lived to die while he was in office, he would look quite negligent if that were the case. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The last time Remus Lupin had seen Harriet Potter she had been a squalling newborn waving tiny fists at him from the bundle of red and gold blankets wrapped around her. James had grinned at him as Lily’s green eyes looked up from a face nearly the same shape as James’. The crying slowed and stopped. James laughed. 

“I told you it’d be alright Moony! See, she already loves you!” Remus had smiled at his friend as James stepped up behind him, making faces at his daughter over his friends shoulder. She laughed shrilly. “We’ve asked Sirius to be her godfather but how does Uncle Moony sound to you?” He had teared up, to afraid he might break the tiny person in his arms to hug his best friend. 

Seeing her on the Hogwarts Express was difficult. She didn’t know him, he wasn’t Uncle Moony, he was a stranger. But at least a helpful one as he banished the dementors. They seemed to affect her worse than any of her classmates, she had fainted from the after effects of their poisonous presence and was shaking like a leaf when she came to, claiming she’d heard a woman screaming. He broke her off an extra large piece of chocolate, searching those familiar deep green eyes for the torture the dementors inflicted on her. He couldn’t blame her for being traumatized with everything that had happened to her. But the fact that some part of her remembered her mother dying hurt him like a knife to the back. Letting her go to the hospital wing alone was hard. Letting her out of his sight at all now was difficult with Sirius on the loose once more. Remus had been left without a friend in the world because of that man that he’d once called a friend. He would not let him touch Lily and James’ little girl.


	5. Year Three (2)

Normally Minerva McGonagall had nothing but respect for her colleagues. Now there were a few exceptions, Gilderoy Lockheart had been a nuisance and ended his year attempting to wipe the memory of two of her students while leaving another to die in the Chamber of Secrets. If Ron’s broken wand hadn’t backfired she shuddered to think what might have happened. Quirrell had been housing He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named on the back of his head, though he’d died before anyone but Harriet had discovered that. Severus had suspected he was working with the dark lord, but shared that suspicion with only Albus. But she and Sybill Trelawney had never gotten on. It didn’t help that the woman greeted new classes by predicting a death of one of the student. 

This year was no different, it seemed that Sybill had targeted the easiest one to predict her death. Given that Harriet had nearly died in the past two years and that the dementors had affected her so deeply the girl was clearly in a delicate place mentally and to have a teacher predict her death had shaken her greatly. Apparently Trelawney had seen the Grim in Harriet’s tea leaves. 

McGonagall passed by the Gryffindor table at lunch just in time to hear the trio discussing the Omen. She had apparently seen a large black dog when she’d run from the Dursleys that summer. Hermione insisted it was probably a stray, she was probably right too. But it made McGonagall uneasy. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Severus Snape tapped on the door to Dumbledore’s office. He entered when bid and frowned at the headmaster. 

“What can I help you with Severus? Are you here to speak to me about Professor Lupin again.” Snape shook his head. 

“No, though I still don’t agree with that particular appointment.” He took a deep breath. “I believe Draco Malfoy is pushing at Harriet to do something foolish.” Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. 

“Foolish how?” The potions master explained what he’d overheard during his class, Malfoy talking to Harriet, telling her that if it was him he’d go after Black himself. Dumbledore nodded. “We’ll keep a closer eye on her. Do you think he knows details from his parents about what really happened?” Snape shook his head. 

“No, only rumor. Even I never knew who sold Lily out, if it was Black he hid his treachery well.” The implication that if Snape had known who had sold Harriet’s mother to the Dark Lord the problem would have sorted itself out hung between the two men. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Remus interceded before Harriet could face the bogart, he’d assumed her worst fear. Facing her now on the anniversary of that terrible night, the night her parents had died was difficult but he didn’t want to leave her alone. Her friends had gone on to Hogsmeade without her. He didn’t ask if Dumbledore had banned her from the village for her safety or if she hadn’t managed to get her permission slip signed. He didn’t want to pry. But learning that her worst fear was fear itself was interesting. The look of concern on her face when Severus delivered his Wolfsbane potion was sweet. But finding out the Sirius had been in the castle, had taken a knife to the Fat Lady’s portrait when she’d refused him entry stopped him cold. 

He only found out the next morning, thanks to the full moon. Things only grew worse from there. The dementor’s attacked the quidditch game, causing Harriet to fall from her broom fifty feet to the ground. If Dumbledore hadn’t acted as quickly as he had the game would have ended in tragedy. Cedric Diggory contested his own victory as Dumbledore floated Harriet onto a stretcher but he had caught the snitch fair and square. She seemed to grow worse after that, more despondent. He couldn’t let it continue. She may not know him but he felt he had a duty to Lily and James to care for her as much as he could. 

Discovering that he was right, that she heard Voldemort murdering her mother when the dementor’s neared was harrowing. A child should never have to go through that much less relive it over and over again. When she asked him to teach her how to defend against them he was hesitant. This was magic even fully trained witches and wizards had trouble with. Not everyone could manifest a Patronus. Some people just didn’t have the happy memories necessary, nor the skill. But he promised to try.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After much debate between them Fred and George decided that Harriet Potter was in a great need of some fun. But how to get her to Hogsmeade was now the question. Ron had told them about her father’s old invisibility cloak but that wouldn’t be enough with the dementors everywhere. If they could get her to avoid them altogether that would be best. Their mother had written to all of her children to keep a closer eye on Harriet than usual this year, though she hadn’t given a solid reason for it. The truth was Fred and George both felt that the girl was being smothered by the teachers, not to mention Percy who had taken his mother’s orders to heart and practically dogged her every step. As the usual words blossomed across the page Harriet’s eyes lit up like they hadn’t since the destruction of her broom. Fred and George knew in that moment that they’d made the right decision. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ron and Hermione were stock still after what they’d all overheard. That the Potter’s hadn’t just been killed by Voldemort but had been sold out by their closest friend. Hermione was sure she heard Harriet cry herself to sleep that night but she had no idea how to comfort her friend. How did one make that news easier to deal with? Harriet slept in the next day and Hermione wasn’t keen on waking her. She and Ron agreed that they needed to talk their occasionally hotheaded friend out of doing something stupid. But the look in her eyes as she told them what she heard when the dementors came near was a darker one than Hermione had ever seen. All was forgotten when they discovered Hagrid’s most recent plight. 

Then the broom arrived. Hermione was worried she went straight to Professor McGonagall after Christmas dinner. The transfiguration teacher agreed with her that the broom had likely been sent by a dangerous individual and needed to be investigated. It lost her both Harriet and Ron. Though Harriet still shared their dormitory she didn’t speak to her much anymore, if at all. Hermione avoided Gryffindor tower as much as was possible shutting herself up in the library. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

Remus was surprised at the progress Harriet made towards summoning a Patronus. She’d managed a whispy thing, it had no form but for a thirteen year old to even get that far in one session was impressive. He wasn’t sure it was getting easier for her though. In fact the vision of her worst moment was becoming more complex. Apparently James’ voice had been added to the chorus. He admitted to knowing James at Hogwarts but gave no hint of how close they had been. A band of four brothers, eventually folding Lily into their little family too. He thought he had known his friends so well. James and Lily had been true to what he knew of them, dying for one they loved more than the world itself. Peter had proved braver than Remus had ever guessed going after Black. Maybe if he hadn’t been underground, feeding Dumbledore information on what few werewolves that would speak to him of You-Know-Who, maybe he could have helped. He’d never expected Sirius to be cold blooded enough to kill anyone unless in self defense. As she left his office, a bit shaky on her feet he wondered if he should tell her the truth about Black, the real reason everyone was so concerned about her. 

The next few lessons drove Harriet to frustration. She wasn’t improving as much as she wanted, she like Lily was something of a perfectionist. She had James’ curiosity though, he knew when she asked what was under a dementor’s hood. He couldn’t help but wonder if maybe she already knew what Black had done when he told her what would happen to him when he was caught. He wasn’t sure he liked her answer though. Her friends stopped talking to each other after that day, apparently Hermione’s cat had killed Ron’s rat. A rat that Lupin had never actually seen. But the quidditch match cheered him up greatly. Harriet, distracted by the Snitch had managed what she hadn’t in a classroom. He whooped with pride as he watch the silver Stag full formed charge the three dementors that had entered the pitch. James would have laughed his head off knowing his daughter had his Animagus form for a Patronus. He’d have rubbed it in Lily’s face for the rest of their lives. The dementors turned out to be several Slytherins and Harriet caught the snitch around her wand. 

“She’s just like you James.” Lupin muttered to himself under the din of cheering. But of course then Black attacked again but this time it didn’t make sense to Remus. Whatever else Sirius was he was clever. He knew that an animal could get around the enchantments that kept boys out of the girl’s dormitory if he’d wanted to he could have shifted into a dog, carried the knife in his mouth and killed Harriet without ever being seen. But he’d gone to the boys dormitory instead, attacked her friend Ron. Luckily the boy had woken before the knife could find a target but it was too odd to be a coincidence. Either Black had gone mad in Azkaban and his memories of the Potter’s child were so muddled he didn’t remember that she was his niece not his nephew or there was something else happening here. He honestly wasn’t sure which it was, or which would be worse. 

Learning that Harriet had somehow come into possession of the Map that he, James, Peter and Sirius had spent the better part of their school years perfecting amused Remus, it had to be fate giving her something of her father’s when she had no idea that was what it was. The nicknames had been as easy on their tongues as their own true names, sometimes easier. 

“Why did Snape think I got it from the manufacturers?” One simple question, a million ways to answer it. Snape knew the nicknames, knew who they belonged to. Knew that James would have absolutely given Harriet this map if they hadn’t lost it to Filch in their seventh year. But he dodged the question only giving a partial answer. 

“These mapmakers would have wanted to lure you out of school. They’d think it extremely entertaining.” He wasn’t lying. James would have been sorely disappointed if Harriet had never explored the expansive school and discovered mysteries about it that he never had. He’d have called Remus a wet blanket for taking it from her. But he knew how to use the map and had to know. He had to figure out how Sirius was getting in. He should hand it over to Dumbledore but that would mean explaining everything, the illegal Animagus transformations his friends had managed, their outings at the full moon, breaking Dumbledore’s trust in him. 

As he stared at the blank parchment he couldn’t help but say the wrong words, just once. 

‘Mr. Moony is disappointed that he would ever forget how to work the map.’ His own handwriting chastised him from the page but it was the other words he was waiting for. 

‘Mr. Prongs agrees with Mr. Moony and demands he return the map at once to baby Prongslet, she’s only used it twice!’ Remus snorted around his tears. This piece of paper held a piece of each of them. Not soul, that was dark magic not to be contemplated but personality written magically in ink. When insulting someone who used it improperly or choosing someone worthy to use it the right way it read the mind of the holder. An echo that gave form to words.

‘Mr. Padfoot is disappointed that Mr. Moony ever doubted him, and would like to congratulate him on becoming a wet blanket professor like Minnie.’ Remus sobbed at those words. Minnie had been what they had all jokingly called Professor McGonagall, she had put them in detention so many times it had become something of a running joke. 

‘Mr. Wormtail wishes to remind Mr. Moony that the words are I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good, as he well knows. He also suggests he get some sleep, he looks like he needs it.’ The words stayed there glimmering in the candle light as Remus sobbed into his sleeve.


	6. Year Three (3)

Winning the Quidditch cup in his last year at Hogwarts was a dream come true for Oliver Wood and they never would have managed it without their top-notch seeker. He was in literal tears. He was so glad he’d given her the chance when McGonagall had introduced them in her first year. He didn’t even mind that exams were going to be the end of his entire team. They had won for the first time since Charlie Weasley had left to chase dragons. He was riding too high to even really notice the dire looks passing between his seeker and her two best friends. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Harriet was less than excited for her divination exam. She, Ron and Hermione were of a similar mind about that subject but Harriet wasn’t so sure she could get away with walking out of a class and never coming back. A brief exam, bullshitted the whole way through, and she thought she was done but as she went to leave the classroom Trelawney spoke in a voice unlike her usual one. The prophecy, which by all appearances was more genuine than anything else the Professor had given throughout the term shook Harriet. She was still shaking when she rejoined the others in the common room, they thought she’d heard the outcome of the appeal, but she never got the chance to tell them what had really shaken her so badly. Not until they chased Scabbers across the grounds and were cornered by the large black dog that had been haunting her all year did Harriet temporarily forget what she’d experienced in the Divination classroom. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sirius didn’t want to hurt the boy, he’d already likely traumatized him looking for Pettigrew but he had the rat in his hands and he didn’t want to do this in front of Harriet if he could avoid it. She followed though, her and her bushy haired friend must have found the knot somehow and slipped down the tunnel. He took no pleasure in disarming them, catching their wands with ease. Her friends had to hold her back from physically attacking him even without a wand. Even though her friend Ron was already injured. It made him happy that she had friends as close as he and James had been, willing to die for her even at thirteen. 

“Lie down. You’ll damage that leg even more.” He was trying to be nice, all he wanted was the rat but he was afraid that his people skills had grown a bit rusty in prison. When she broke free from her friends and attacked him he was surprised, he really didn’t want to hurt her. She had a mean swing, he’d have bruises on his face where she’d punched him. But he would not be kept from avenging James and Lily not even by their daughter. His hand closed around her throat before he really knew what he was doing. If her friend with the bushy hair hadn’t kicked him he might have gone too far, done something he’d regret for the rest of his days. Harriet managed to retrieve her wand in the scuffle and suddenly Sirius was faced down with Lily’s eyes staring out of James’ face a wand pointed directly at his heart. He wasn’t sure what she was going to do, from the look in her eye neither was she. 

“He killed my parents.” Her voice was shaking, full of unshed tears. His nose was bleeding, James would be so proud. The room held its breath as the standoff continued in silence, footsteps were what drew it to a close, the other girl screaming for help. Remus came banging into the room disarming Harriet again. Sirius wasn’t sure what would happen now. Not until Remus spoke. 

“Where is he Sirius?” None of the children seemed to understand what was happening but Sirius felt nearly whole for the first time since finding James dead on the floor. He pointed at Ron and Lupin seemed to be putting together a complicated puzzle in his head as if he had just now been gifted the final pieces. “You switched without telling me didn’t you. He was the one.” Sirius nodded, feeling close to tears that someone else understood, someone else knew the truth and knew enough to know he wasn’t lying. The look of betrayal on Harriet’s face though when Remus embraced him like a brother was one Sirius would never forget even though he tried. The other girl, Hermione though was more verbal in her anger and disbelief, outing Remus as a werewolf to the other two along with accusing him of wanting to murder Harriet as well and claiming Remus had been helping him all year. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It hurt when Ron pulled away from him but Hermione had known since just after Halloween apparently. That damn essay Snape set when he covered for Remus. Explaining how he’d known where they were, and that there were in fact four in the group Sirius had ambushed, not three was a process. The children didn’t believe them about Peter, of course they didn’t. They didn’t know the full story. Neither did he, not how it ended, not really. He thought he had. 

The story was not a short one but for everyone’s sake he cut it down as much as he could, he wished he could fill Harriet in on the details, tell her all about Prongs. About the stag her father became to help him with his transformations, but before he could even finish the story Severus revealed himself pulling off James’ old invisibility cloak and pointing his wand at his chest. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

To Severus it felt like justice. He had begged Dumbledore to let him go hunt Black down when he’d escaped. To get some semblance of vengeance for Lily but he’d been denied. He was not about to be denied now when he had the man who’d gotten her killed at wand point. Even by her daughter. 

He didn’t like Harriet from the beginning. If he was honest with himself, which was rare these days, he hadn’t liked her because she represented everything he’d never had with Lily. Everything that could have been and everything that had been taken from him the night she died. He was not expecting the three Gryffindors to be quite so bold as to actually attack him though. Three voices rang through the room as his world spun and went black.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

Peter Pettigrew knew he was a coward. He always had been, spending twelve long years as a rat was really just more proof of that. But he’d been desperate to keep his life. Finding a wizarding family to take him in was easy. They were kind, he passed from one brother to another and couldn’t believe his luck when he found that his new owner became fast friends with Harriet Potter. She really was the spitting image of James even with Lily’s eyes there was more of her reckless father in her than her careful mother. Though she retained the redhead’s infamous temper. He watched carefully as she fought her way through her first two years at Hogwarts. But when he heard Sirius had escaped Azkaban he knew he was doomed. If he was found Sirius knew everything. He’d tried faking his death again, this time as a rat with Hermione’s cat to blame, it was too smart for its own good. But he’d been found out anyway, forced back to human form for the first time in twelve years. It felt almost foreign to him now. But the only reason he survived was because of Harriet, she had insisted they turn him over to the dementors instead of killing him. He owed her his life, he knew that. And that was a dangerous thing but he didn’t care. Luck was on his side tonight it seemed as the moon was full and sweet Remus had rushed out before he could take his final wolfsbane potion of the week. As soon as he recognized the symptoms of the transformation he took full advantage, stunning Ron he made to aim a spell at Sirius but Harriet was quicker. She disarmed him but he transformed slipping away. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Harriet waited on the other side of the lake, her hair pulled back in a low ponytail. If her father was going to show he needed to do it now. But as the her across the lake faltered, her weak Patronus fading no one showed up. The though crossed her mind and she knew what she had to do, leaping out of the bush she raised her wand and shouted the spell. From her wand burst forth a huge stag that galloped across the water driving the dementors back. The dementors rushed away and vanished. Now the stag was cantering back to her. 

“Prongs.” She said it with a smile in her voice and tears in her eyes. The stag trotted up to her and nodded ever so slightly. Then it dissolved into light. Saving Sirius was a blur to both girls, they barely made it back to the hospital wing in time and settled in waiting for the blowback. It went better than they could have imagined. Snape made a huge fuss and fool of himself. Harriet should have known there would be hell to pay for that but she had thought he’d take it out on her not Lupin. But he’d let it slip by the next morning that Lupin was a werewolf and the news spread like wildfire. She caught him just as he was packing his office. It wasn’t fair. She finally had a decent defense against the dark arts teacher who didn’t want her dead, or memoryless. She finally had a link to the family she’d never known and it was being ripped away from her just as her godfather had been. But as he handed her back the cloak he’d rescued from the shrieking shack and the map he smiled at her. 

“I will write, if that’s alright with you.” She nodded holding back tears. Taking her father’s things in one hand she lunged forward hugging him. For that moment he wasn’t her teacher, he was the uncle she never had. 

“You’d better write.” He smiled down at her ruffling her hair affectionately. 

“I swear I will.” With that he left, before the blowback from his outing could reach his students. Harriet wanted to cry, she couldn’t help but wonder if there was a reason everything good in her life was snatched from her. But with Dumbledore’s reassurances ringing in her ears she made her way out of the castle. It only occurred to her then that the headmaster had said that Trelawney had made two real prophecies but hadn’t brought up the other one. She shook her head. If she was lucky it would have nothing to do with her.


	7. Year Four (1)

Harriet Potter was having strange dreams. They weren’t unpleasant, most of them anyway. There was a forest, large and mysterious, then a house, old and dusty, only the garden in good repair, but the odd thing was that in these dreams she was never herself. Other dreams she was still a human, usually still herself. But not these ones, not these strange dreams. In these she slithered along the ground, scales making the barest sound against the grass of a forest or the hardwood floors. She always woke with her scar prickling after these dreams but they tended to fade from memory quickly. This latest one though, the house was clearer than it had ever been, the muggle had died. This time her scar was burning, she was shaking but she couldn’t decide if it was with rage or fear. She certainly hadn’t been afraid during the dream. Passive was a better word, uncaring of the things happening around her. 

Details as always were quick to flee from her but the glaring thing that she did remember was Wormtail had been there, speaking to something else. Something that spoke with the voice of Lord Voldemort. Writing Sirius about this dream made her worry about him. She didn’t want him to come back to Brittan. According to the Daily Prophet, which she’d taken up a subscription to last year to keep up with the news about Sirius, though less for worry about her godfather and more to keep tabs on the man she was told betrayed her parents, Sirius had last been sighted in the sub tropics. The colorful birds he’d been sending her definitely weren’t native to anywhere in England. She didn’t want him getting spotted, worse getting caught. Learning of another plot on her life her godfather would likely come running. Maybe Remus would be a better option but despite his promise to write she had not heard from him since he left Hogwarts. She wasn’t sure even Hedwig would be able to find him. So Sirius it was. 

With the excitement of the prospect of the Quidditch World Cup the dream slipped quickly out of her head. Fred and George’s prank on Dudley was priceless, though neither of the adults seemed to think so. Soon enough they were rising at the break of day to catch something called a portkey, Harriet had no idea what that was. They met up with Amos and Cedric Diggory on the way and after a few words to Arthur Cedric fell into step next to Harriet. 

“Glad to see you’re doing well.” She smiled. 

“Thanks, hope you’ve been having a good summer.” He nodded glancing over at Fred and George. Curious Harriet glanced over at them as well and spotted them eyeing Cedric with mistrust. She raised an eyebrow. Cedric blushed under his small spattering of freckles. 

“I don’t think they trust me very much. I tried to visit you in the hospital wing last year after our match, to apologize, they wouldn’t let me in.” Harriet snorted. 

“You don’t need to apologize for our last match, you didn’t call the dementors.” Cedric nodded. 

“You scared a lot of people when that happened, though seeing that Stag bowl Malfoy off his feet was priceless.” Harriet laughed loudly. “How did you learn to cast a fully formed Patronus anyway?” 

“Professor Lupin taught me, because the dementors had such a bad effect on me. He thought it would be best if I could defend myself. Though I didn’t realize that one was fully formed, at the game. I was a bit distracted.” Cedric laughed. 

“Well if we get a catch half as exciting as that one we’re in for a good match.” Harriet nodded as Fred and George shot each other looks. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Cedric would admit that he’d been eyeing Harriet Potter from a far for a while. She was the best seeker he’d seen by far in his years at Hogwarts. She exemplified what Gryffindor was supposed to stand for, bravery to the point of stupidity, loyalty to the end. Word of how she’d beaten the basilisk that lived under the school spread like wildfire in her second year. He had to admit he was impressed with her. But every time he’d tried to talk to her before she had either been busy, running off on some wild adventure or the Gryffindor Quidditch team had been there and they were protective to a fault over their youngest member. 

He had been threatened by every other member of her team while she remained oblivious to his attempts to even speak to her. But here seemed to be more neutral ground or at least Fred and George couldn’t do anything to him while their father was looking. Hermione and Ginny were giggling as he and Harriet chatted but he did his best to ignore their knowing looks. She was fun to talk to. Pulling her up from where she’d crashed to the ground from the portkey landing he smiled at her. 

“The first landing with those is always the worst.” She laughed. 

“I think I prefer brooms honestly.” He nodded. The game itself was amazing to watch. His seats were nowhere near the top where he knew Harriet and the Weasleys were. But he enjoyed himself regardless. Krum snatching up the snitch had come so far out of left field that he’d never seen it coming but the seeker himself seemed to know that the game was lost either way and decided to end it his way and no one else’s and Cedric respected him for that. But that night, after the game was over terror gripped the campsites. His father told him to look after a few of the younger campers with his best friend Cho and her girlfriend Marietta. They obeyed and it was only after everything had happened that Cedric heard what had happened. A house elf stealing Harriet’s wand, that same wand being used to conjure the Dark Mark, it didn’t sit right with him. But if there was one person he could never see going over to the dark side it was Harriet. He just hoped she would be ok. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Molly frowned at the school lists, there was a new item this year, dress robes. She was out getting the school supplies for everyone. With everything that had happened at the World Cup she and Arthur had agreed that it was safest for all their children that they didn’t leave the Burrow until they got on the train. Bill and Charlie even agreed to stay longer to help in case something happened. This overabundance of caution was due in no small part to Harriet’s presence. The Dark Mark appearing anywhere near her, much less cast with her wand, had many people who knew what had really happened in those woods on edge. Arthur had told her in private that the Minister had offered to send some Aurors to the Burrow to help with security but the house was already full to bursting. Fudge had only relented after learning that Arthur’s oldest boys, a curse breaker and dragon handler respectively were staying there. Bill and Charlie would be departing after they loaded everyone on the train. Molly shook her head and headed into Madame Malkin’s.

For Harriet’s robes there was quite a selection to choose from; Harriet had sent a bag of gold with Molly insisting that she use whatever she needed for her school supplies and anything else she needed. She really was a sweet girl. Molly deliberated for a while before selecting a long flowing scarlet dress with a shimmery gold overlay on the skirt. The neckline was tasteful and detailed with gold embroidery as well. She would look fantastic, like the proud Gryffindor she was. She had to get the rest of the dress robes secondhand but found a lovely pale grey set for Ginny. But with Ron’s height it was already difficult to find secondhand robes that fit him. She shook her head glancing down at the lists, Hermione had gone before coming to the Burrow, apparently she’d requested the reading list from Professor McGonagall early in the summer so she could get a head start. All she didn’t have was the new defense against the dark arts book, which hadn’t been chosen yet when she’d requested the booklist. Molly smiled slightly at the thought of her son’s friends. She hoped he ended up with one of them. It would be nice to have them in the family. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Learning that Hogwarts was to be the host school for the Triwizard Tournament was definitely exciting but when Fred and George asked if Harriet wanted in on the aging potion they were making to fool the judge into letting them enter the running for champion she’d laughed. 

“I am three for three, I’ve almost died every year I’ve been at Hogwarts. First Quirrell, then that great bloody snake in the Chamber, and of course the dementors. I think I could do with a year without a threat to my life. Should be fun to watch though.” The twins conceded the point quickly with that logic. 

Her argument with Malfoy during the first day back ended with her finally meeting the new defense against the dark arts teacher, who turned Malfoy into a ferret for trying to hex her when her back was turned. He’d missed by millimeters leaving a bit of her long black hair singed and her braid falling apart as the broken hair tie fell to the floor. 

“You alright?” Moody growled and she nodded batting out the sparks, her nose wrinkling at the smell of burned hair. 

“I’ve had worse.” He nodded looking her up and down, as though contemplating every fight she’d ever been in. 

“I bet you have Potter.” A wave of his wand and her hair stopped smoking, the burned ends mending. Without another glance at her he turned back to the snow white ferret on the stairs. Moody turned out to be just as intense in classes. After his first lesson Harriet was shaken. Seeing the spider die like that made her wonder if that was how her parents had looked, not a mark on them, there one minute just gone the next. But she wasn’t the only one who seemed to be having trouble. Neville had been shaky since the class, even after having tea with Moody. As the common room emptied that night it was just the two of them left. He hesitated before coming to sit by the fire with her. 

“Some lesson huh?” he offered trying to sound happier than he was. She nodded. Silence fell, it took a moment for either of them to break it. 

“I didn’t know it would look like that.” Her comment was nearly silent but he looked up at her frowning, curious. She wasn’t even sure why she was still talking. “All I remember from the night my parents died was a flash of green light. But I never knew it looked like that.” She had watched Moody’s wand move. The motion for the killing curse an exact match to the scar on her forehead. Neville nodded. 

“I didn’t know the…” His voice broke. She glanced up at him. He was staring blankly into the fire. She reached out and he jumped practically out of the chair. There was a silent tear sliding down his cheek. 

“Are you alright?” He scrubbed his face and nodded. 

“Yeah, it was just a really intense lesson.” She nodded, he stood. “I’m gonna head to bed.” He practically sprinted up the stairs. He had left his book behind, open on the table. Magical Water Plants of the Mediterranean, Harriet smiled slightly, he’d always been more interested in herbology than anything else. She slipped a piece of parchment from her nearby bag and slid it into the book to mark his spot and closed the book so she could have the table to work on her star chart. As she closed the book she spotted a name in cramped writing at the bottom of the first page, property of Alistor Moody. She smiled it was good that another professor was taking an interest in Neville, he’d gotten much better at defense when they’d had Lupin as a teacher, he’d nurtured instead of discouraged. Hopefully Moody, though intense, would do the same. Hedwig’s letter had arrived earlier that night driving Harriet to even more dark thoughts about what might happen if Sirius came back to England. She’d sent him a reply telling him not to come. That her scar hurting had probably just been a headache. She didn’t want him getting caught. She wasn’t expecting anymore mail for quite some time so the tawny barn owl tapping at the window startled her. She opened it and it swooped it landing on her now dry star chart. 

“Who are you looking for?” The owl gave her a haughty look and deposited the small package on her finished homework. The label was in careful familiar handwriting of her previous defense against the dark arts teacher, her own name written in spiraling letters. She tore into the package and caught the letter as it fluttered out of the wrappings. The owl preened. 

‘Dear Harriet,

I’m sorry I haven’t been in contact as much as I wanted to, times have been a little rough lately. I have managed to find a place at a little shop in Whales, near where I lived as a child. When visiting my father he reminded me of something he had that I think you would like. Your father asked mine to make it for your mother for their anniversary before they went into hiding. I think he would have wanted you to have it. My father is quite adept at metallurgy and the creation of magical jewelry and made it himself. It’s got a few personal protective charms on it, nothing too complex but it might help out in a pinch. How are classes? I hear Alistor Moody took my place as defense against the dark arts teacher and wrote to him about your classes excellent progress against dark creature. He is a good man and was quite the capable aurour in his time. I think you could learn a lot from him. I hear a rumor that the Triwizard Tournament has been reinstated, I hope you’re not thinking of entering. If you want to you can send a reply back with this owl or with Hedwig, she’ll figure out how to find me. 

Wishing you all the best, 

Remus Lupin’

Homework now forgotten Harriet opened the small velvet box and blinked at the necklace within. It was a simple flat drop pendant on a chain of gold. On the golden drop sat a carved ruby in the shape of a roaring lion’s head picking it up out of the box she felt an engraving on the back. 

‘All my love, James’ She smiled weakly and slipped the necklace on tucking it under her shirt. This was something she didn’t quite feel like sharing with anyone just yet. She sat down and grabbed a fresh piece of parchment. 

‘Dear Professor Lupin, 

Thank you so much this means the world to me. We just found out about the Tournament and I think I’d like to be a spectator for once. There’s a new rule in place anyway that only people who are seventeen can enter. It should be interesting to watch and I’m a little excited to learn about other wizarding schools. It doesn’t start until October when the other schools arrive. Classes are going well, Professor Moody is’ She paused trying to think of the right word. ‘a bit unorthodox. But I think you’re right there’s a lot I can learn. He turned Malfoy into a ferret for trying to hex me when my back was turned. Don’t worry Malfoy missed. Hope everything is still going well with you!

Harriet’

She folded the letter with a flick of her wand and quickly addressed it to Remus before handing it to the owl. It took off out the still open window. Harriet sighed and decided that it would be best to head up to bed.  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Getting put under the Imperious curse felt nothing like she thought it would. It was a dreamy feeling, almost pleasant. But she had gotten good at throwing it off. Which was good because her shins were already bruised from nearly jumping onto a desk under its influence. Moody had insisted she try again and again until she could throw off the curse entirely. She decided to leave that particular class out of any letters she wrote to either Sirius or Remus. There was a Hogsmeade trip that weekend, unaffected by the arrival of the students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. Harriet hadn’t been expecting Cedric to seek her out during break that Thursday. 

“I was wondering if you were going to Hogsmeade this coming weekend.” She nodded, setting aside her charms book. 

“I was planning to yeah.” He seemed a bit nervous, Ron was frowning slightly from his spot sitting by Hermione on a nearby bench. 

“Would you maybe want to get a coffee with me? Saturday at around noon?” Harriet blinked her face heating up slightly as she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. 

“Sure.” He grinned. “Um, would this be a date?” She felt stupid for asking, if it wasn’t she would ruin a budding friendship and look like an idiot. But what if it was? Cedric was very good looking, only a few years older than her, and an excellent Quidditch player. He blushed slightly too. 

“I’d like it to be but that’s up to you.” She was sure she was the shade of a tomato if Ron’s quiet snickering was any sign. She nodded and he grinned wide. “Excellent. I’ll meet you outside Honeydukes at noon on Saturday!” She nodded again and he grinned and raced off waving back at her over his shoulder. Ron was still laughing when she sat back down and smacked him in the shoulder with her charms book. 

“Shut up Ron!” She hissed making him laugh harder. 

“It was inevitable, you saw him making moony eyes at her on our way to the World Cup. Didn’t you? Ginny and I noticed.” Hermione stated from behind her transfiguration book. Harriet leaned closer to her. 

“ ‘Mione next time you notice something like that please tell me. I had no idea he even liked me like that!” Hermione looked up from her book an eyebrow raised. 

“You’re an excellent witch Harriet, but you don’t know a whole lot about relationships do you?” Harriet shot her a look. 

“I grew up with the Dursleys. I spent the majority of my childhood in a cupboard ‘Mione. We’re lucky I’m as well adjusted as I am.” Hermione nodded looking a bit sheepish.


	8. Year Four (2)

Albus was growing worried. Someone had put Harriet’s name in the Goblet of Fire and there was absolutely nothing he could do or say to keep her from competing. The Goblet was the better part of a binding magical contract. The consequences of her not participating were more dire than the games themselves. But that wasn’t all of it. He had long suspected that she was more than she appeared, more than even she knew. His suspicions that she had certain similarities to Lord Voldemort were confirmed in her second year when she accidently outed herself as a parslemouth. But it seemed that the connection between the two ran deeper than just a few shared powers. He’d heard it from Sirius, a reliable source on information that Harriet might not tell him. He was the closest thing she had to family that she actually thought of that way. She’d been having odd dreams, a snake in an old house, a dead muggle on the floor. But she’d been the snake. She’d woken with her scar hurting and he suspected this wasn’t the first time. The exceedingly long lived snake that Voldemort had kept on him even during the first war was all too familiar to Dumbledore and too powerful to be a natural creature, even a magical one. 

If he was right she might be making connections to the other Horcruxes, even though she didn’t know it. Though if that only worked between the living ones he didn’t know. The existence of a living Horcrux was unprecedented, much less two belonging to the same shattered soul. Her seemingly growing connection to the snake made him worried that things were escalating faster than he anticipated, that Voldemort might be nearer to regaining even a sliver of his old power sooner than he had planned for. So he worked harder, gathered his old allies where he could and had Moody keep a close eye on Harriet. She survived the first task, and seemed to have convinced the castle, if not the world that she had not put her own name in the Goblet. That seemed to be due in no small part to her budding romance with Cedric Diggory, and his staunch support. It was good to see her have a taste of happiness a taste of life outside of war, a war Dumbledore was sad to know she would some day have to lay down her life for if it was to ever end. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Cedric was impressed. He had never even thought to use anything but his wand against the dragon. He’d never thought something like this would happen at Hogwarts, though considering everything that had happened in the last three years he really should have anticipated something like this when his father told him something exciting was happening this year at school. But he had to admit watching from the entrance of the medical tent while Madame Pomphrey fussed he could feel his heart in his throat as she swooped and wove on her firebolt almost a blur of movement in the scarlet and gold robes they’d provided. Each champion had been given a set of robes for the tournament with their last name and number on the back. Krum had a one emblazoned in silver on his black and burgundy set. Fleur’s was powder blue with a soft grey number two across the back under her name. Cedric’s own was black and yellow, Hufflepuff colors instead of the colors of the whole school like Krum and Fleur. He’d admit that Harriet looked stunning in red and gold, it suited her making the bright green of her eyes stand out more against her snow white skin. 

He was sure he wouldn’t have gotten through this task without her warning. He still wasn’t sure how she’d found out what was coming but it had allowed him to plan, and though he’d been burned he was alive and still had all four limbs which was more than many people who’d faced dragons could say. Bagman wasn’t wrong Harriet was one of the best fliers he’d ever witnessed. Krum stood nearby a nearly impressed look on his normally stoic face. He spoke which about made Cedric jump but he didn’t take his eyes off the Gryffindor speeding along on her broom. 

“She should play professionally. Does she play Quidditch?” Cedric nodded. 

“Youngest Seeker Hogwarts has had in a century. Probably the best too.” He didn’t get to finish watching though as he was practically dragged back to the bed by an irate Madame Pomphrey. His wand arm was burned, but as he listened to the crowd scream and gasp he couldn’t help but think. He knew she hadn’t put her own name in. He’d told her he put his name forth and she’d congratulated him, told him she didn’t envy him if he did make it in though. That she would rather watch this year than participate for once. But someone had taken that chance away from her. Along with one of her closest friends who didn’t believe she’d been entered by someone else. Half the school hadn’t believed her if not more. But at least Cho had been tactful enough not to wear the ‘Potter Stinks’ badges and encouraged others to drop them too. But from the roaring thunderous applause as Bagman screamed that she’d gotten her egg, and faster than the other three Champions, he couldn’t help but think that maybe she’d have more support now. Her arm was bloody when she entered the tent. Fleur had wandered over to him her skirt still singed. 

“She didn’t miss the tail.” Fleur explained when she saw Cedric paying more attention to Harriet’s injured arm than her. He managed to slip away to congratulate her on her excellent flight and offered to walk her back to the castle, after she’d gotten her score. She’d tied with Krum and was flushed with victory, he had to admit it looked good on her. Her friend Ron hovered nearby seeming to have found the error of his ways after watching her fight a dragon. She accepted, going scarlet as her robes. Fleur looked beyond disappointed. But Rita Skeeter, whom they had all forgotten was there looked happier than she had ever been in her life. The headline in the Prophet the next day read ‘Greatest Gryffindor and Hufflepuff Hearthrob; Hogwarts Newest Power Couple!’

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Harriet would admit aside from the snide looks she was getting from at least half the female population of Hogwarts and a few of the Beauxbaton’s girls things were going well. Dobby had turned out to be working at Hogwarts now, after she’d freed him from the Malfoys. He was even getting paid, Winky, the elf who’d been at the World Cup was less pleased but Dobby was just as excited as he had ever been and just as sweet weighing down her pockets with sweets before they left the kitchen. She was glad he was happy. Finding out there was to be a Ball at Christmas made Harriet nervous. She had quite enough going on at the moment, thank you very much. The mystery of the egg still eluded her, all it did when she opened it was scream. Aside from the gold exterior it was undecorated.

Her tiny model of the Hungarian Horntail liked to curl up on top of the egg so she left it out on her bedside table, taunting her. She and Cedric had agreed that it was best if they steered clear of the topic of the Tournament as much as possible. Learning that when she got a date for the Yule ball she would have to dance in front of all the students present mortified Harriet. 

“Oh good, I can make a complete fool of myself in front of three schools instead of just one.” McGonagall had raised an eyebrow at her, used to her usual sass but not quite the tone she was using now, an edge of desperation and near fear behind her words. 

“Is there a problem Miss Potter.” Harriet looked away. 

“I don’t know how to dance.” McGonagall frowned then seemed to realize that, no, the Dursleys would not have taught her things like that. 

“Talk to Mr. Diggory, from what I understand his mother insisted he be classically trained in dance.” Harriet went bright red and scurried out of the classroom as fast as she could without running. She was still a bit pink when she made it down to dinner. She was startled when Hedwig swooped in the open window and landed in front of her. Mail was delivered in the morning and the owl had been ignoring her since she had sent Pigwigeon to Sirius instead of her. She was carrying an envelope with Harriet’s name on it in careful calligraphy. Whispers cascaded around the room as she took the envelope from the owl who looked far too pleased with herself. Hermione and Ron shook their heads neither of them knew who it was from or why it had arrived now. 

“Oh, go on open it!” Ron insisted and Harriet flicked open the envelope. A shower of golden sparks flew forth startling her as they swirled and twisted into tiny filigrees butterflies in gold, crimson, yellow and black. They swooped around her as gasps of wonder filled the hall and several people craned their necks to get a better look. The tiny butterflies settled into her hair and stilled, now solid looking like spun gold, though they retained their original colors. Ron looked dumbfounded, Hermione was bouncing as she waved for Harriet to turn around. She did and found herself looking up at Cedric. 

“My mum taught me how to do that. I was hoping they’d impress you.” She had gone scarlet and lost her grasp on the English language so all she could do was nod. “Enough to go to the Yule ball with me?” He asked a grin playing at his lips as he too blushed, fully aware of the eyes fixed on both of them. 

“You could have just asked.” She managed, quietly though she was dead certain that everyone in the Great Hall heard her. His grin grew wider. 

“Where’s the fun in that?” There was a pause as she floundered for words. “Is that a yes?” Words were slippery tricky things, Harriet decided and wholly overrated at the moment since her mouth didn’t seem to want to move, stuck in an embarrassed smile. So instead she nodded. Cheers erupted from the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables, whoops and laughter filling the Gryffindor one. Silence echoed from the Slytherins, except for a few impressed looking Durmstrang boys who clapped politely. Rapid fire French was shooting between the Beauxbaton’s students. Cedric’s grin was widest though. 

“Excellent.” He took her hand and kissed the back of it before heading to the Hufflepuff table to eat his dinner, he was quickly swamped by his friends who looked to be teasing and congratulating him. Harriet sat there feeling thoroughly dumbfounded. In moments though she was swarmed by the other girls in their year, along with the female members of the Gryffindor Quidditch team and Ginny. 

“That’s so romantic!” Ginny gushed a wide grin on her face. Lavender was blubbering about how they were the perfect couple. Eloise Midgen nodding along. Hermione expounded on how impressive the magic that made the butterflies had been. Harriet offered Hedwig a chunk of chicken and the owl accepted and preened before taking back off in a streak of white looking as though she knew she had done a wonderful job. Parvati was talking about how fun it would be to dance at the ball. Katie, Angelina, and Alicia were insisting that Harriet let them do her hair at Christmas, arguing over the best ways to incorporate the butterflies into different hairstyles. Ron looked very confused as to what had just happened. 

Cedric offered to help her learn to dance, which was good. She managed to get Parvati to go with Ron since he was being a bit of a prat about Hermione going with someone else. Ginny seemed to know who but both refused to tell since Harriet was an awful liar. Soon enough Christmas day rolled around, Harriet was awoken by Dobby the house elf bringing her a gift, socks, in mismatched Quidditch patterns. He had made them himself. They were quite cozy and warm which was good as the Weasleys wanted to have a bit of a snowball fight before everyone got wrapped up in the preparations for the ball. Ron had given his usual maroon sweater to Dobby, Harriet had given him two new pairs of socks, mixing up a few of the horrible flower patterned ones Aunt Petunia had given her ages back. They were in the middle of an all out snowball war when they all froze. A stray snowball had beamed Professor Moody in the side of the head as he walked toward the castle.

Harriet was the only one quick enough to dive for cover. The rest were beamed with multiple snowballs as they shrieked with laughter. She peeked over her snowbank and ducked as another ball of slush sailed her way, unable to hold in her laughter. Moody seemed satisfied as George summoned a white flag from his wand and waved it franticly. He made his way up to the castle and paused as he glanced back at her. 

“Good reflexes Potter, not many fast enough to avoid me.” She grinned as his magical blue eye fixed on her shoes. “Nice socks.” 

“Thanks, Dobby the house elf made them for me.” She didn’t have a chance to say more as a snowball hurtled into the side of her face knocking her glasses askew. He chuckled as she turned scooping up a pile of slush and dumping it down the back of Ron’s robes, he had hit her with the snowball. Soon she and Hermione headed inside to get ready, three hours before the ball. 

“Why do you two need three hours!” Ron called after them “Who are you going with Hermione!” He was silenced by a snowball in the face. The girl’s dormitory was a wash of activity. Ginny and Alicia were helping Hermione with her hair, using a potion Harriet wasn’t familiar with to straighten the curly mass. Katie prided herself on being something of a magician with makeup and Harriet couldn’t fault her. All the girls looked like princesses by the time she was done. Harriet pulled on her dress robes and was sat down in a chair as Angelina insisted on doing her hair, since the others were still getting ready. 

Her teammate gently curled her hair with her wand and carefully pinned back her long locks so they were completely out of her face. When Harriet looked at her scar self consciously in the mirror Angelina tapped her gently on the head with a knuckle. 

“Don’t you dare be ashamed of that. A scar isn’t something to be ashamed of it means you survived. Be proud that you are where you are today.” Harriet smiled widely as Angelina pinned a few of the filigrees butterflies into her hair to hold it back out of her face. Angelina finished with her and went to help Hermione with the last of her hair so Alicia could change. It had been nearly two and a half hours. Ginny stepped up to Harriet and held up a silvery grey ribbon that matched her dress robes well. 

“Will you braid my hair?” Harriet nodded sitting Ginny down in the chair she’d just vacated. She’d gotten good at braiding since the girls of the team had taught her how in first year. Ginny ended up with an intricate fishtail tied off with a neat bow. Ginny grinned at her as the girls all gathered in front of the full length mirrors in the attached bathroom to admire their handywork. Katie insisted they get a photo before they split to find their dates. Eloise was kind enough to take it with the old camera Alicia fished out of the bottom of her trunk. She got one of all of them and then one of just the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Alicia promised them all copies of the photos as she set the camera aside. She was meeting up with a Ravenclaw girl and walked down to the entrance hall with Harriet. There weren’t many people here yet. Hermione, who’d come down with them had disappeared but as Cedric smiled at her Harriet couldn’t bring herself to care. 

“You look… Wow, there aren’t words.” Harriet laughed lightly as she took his offered arm. If she hadn’t seen Hermione get ready she wouldn’t have recognized her on Viktor Krum’s arm. Tonight would be excellent Harriet decided and set aside the worries of the Tournament, the threat of a death eater under the roof of Hogwarts. For one night she was going to enjoy herself.


	9. Year Four (3)

Harriet in no way minded the new nickname she earned the night of the Yule Ball, Gryffindor Princess, mostly because it came from Cedric. What she did mind was Ron acting like a complete ponce to Hermione, sending her running off to their dormitory sobbing. By way of apology he shared with her what he’d overheard in the gardens after he’d stormed out of the Great Hall during the ball. Hagrid was half giant, Igor Karkaroff was worried, to the point of confronting Snape about something, a warning becoming clearer. And she was still no nearer figuring out the egg. Cedric approached her after the ball, pulling her into a deserted classroom for a moment alone. 

“Listen I know we said we wouldn’t talk about the Tournament but I owe you for warning me about the dragons.” She shook her head, the small butterflies in her braid clinking softly. 

“No you don’t Ced.” He gently placed a finger over her lips. 

“Hear me out. I know you don’t think I owe you princess, but without your warning I wouldn’t have made it through the first task. So, I’ll give you a hint to the second one.” She nodded, a hint she could accept, not an outright telling. “There’s a prefect’s bathroom on the fifth floor, fourth door to the right of the statue of Boris the Bewildered. The password’s Pine Fresh. Take the egg with you, mull over the clue in the water.” She frowned slightly as he brushed a lock of hair out of her face. “Trust me it’ll help.” She nodded and he grinned. They were standing extremely close and only jumped apart when Peeves knocked the door open and laughed loudly before racing off crowing about Potter and Diggory sitting in a tree. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ron wasn’t so sure why Hermione going out with Viktor Krum made him so angry. He didn’t mind Harriet dating Cedric, he often teased her about it like how Fred and George had teased Percy about Penelope Clearwater. The three of them found a united front again when Skeeter published an article outing Hagrid as a half giant. Harriet managed to scoop up some interesting information along with figuring out the secret of the egg thanks to the clue Cedric had given her. Mermaids in the lake, and Moody had searched Snape’s office under suspicion of being a death eater. Someone was stealing potion ingredients from Snape. Barty Crouch, though too ill to make it to the Yule Ball had been in Snape’s office that night. But as the second task loomed all thoughts focused on that. They were searching right up until the night before when Fred and George told Ron and Hermione that they needed to report to McGonagall’s office. They left Harriet alone frantically pawing through book after book in search of a way to breathe underwater for an hour. 

When they reached the office Dumbledore, Bagman, Madame Maxine and Karkaroff were waiting, along with a small blonde girl who could only be Fleur’s sister and Cho, Cedric’s best friend. They explained the real nature of the task, that it would not be an item taken from the Champions but a person. The one they would miss most. Dumbledore went on to explain that there would be no harm done to them; no matter the outcome of the task. They would be placed in an enchanted sleep until they surfaced from the lake. If the Champion was disqualified for any reason their captive would be brought back to the surface by the merpeople when the rest of the champions surfaced. 

Ron and Hermione shared a look, Hermione had gone pink at being picked as the thing Viktor would miss most but Ron was a bit worried about Harriet. She was heroic to a fault and he wasn’t sure she wouldn’t do something stupidly reckless when she found out who was waiting in the lake. Though as the dreamless dark of the enchantment slipped over him he had the brief thought that if Harriet hadn’t been a champion she’d likely be sitting where Cho now sat. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Percy Weasley was incensed that no one had informed him that his baby brother was part of this task. He was here representing Mr. Crouch after all. In hindsight he should have realized but as he watched the shimmering images of the hostages that floated just above the water the champions had disappeared into over an hour ago he couldn’t bring himself to care. His brother looked dead, tied to a giant statue in the center of the mertown. Still none of the champions had arrived. Fleur was the first back though not with her hostage. She had been savagely attacked by the Grindylows that lived in the lake, apparently they were not native to France and she had no idea how to repel them. Forced to surface or bleed out and drown, her bubble head charm shattered. Madame Pomphrey tended her wounds as she fought to get back in the water, large eyes fixed on the little girl tied to the statue next to Cho. 

Harriet was the first to arrive at the statue to tumultuous applause. Percy couldn’t help but cheer, but she didn’t take Ron and leave. He rolled his eyes. It just wasn’t who she was he knew that. She would never leave anyone behind, and she proved it as Cedric arrived. He raised eyebrows at her, she shot him the thumbs up and pointed upward as he tapped his watch. She shook her head pointing at her own. The Gillyweed did not give her the ability to speak underwater and Cedric couldn’t have spoken through the bubble head charm either. It occurred to Percy that was only something they learned in seventh year. Harriet wouldn’t have even been aware of it. Hence the workaround he supposed. But Cedric seemed to understand. He gripped her hand trying to get her to come with him but she shook her head pointing at Ron and Hermione and the little girl Gabrielle who Fleur was sobbing to get back to. Cedric rolled his eyes but nodded taking Cho and making for the surface. The image of the hostages distorted as he broke it Cho waking up a bit startled to be soaked to the skin. Her girlfriend Marietta was beside herself in the stands nearby as Cedric and Cho swam to the judges platform and were pulled up by Dumbledore and Bagman. Cedric glanced back as the image righted itself. 

Krum had just arrived, his head now that of a shark. He took Hermione and left without a backwards glance at Harriet who waited still, for a Champion who was never coming. It didn’t take her long to get frustrated and cut Fleur’s sister loose too, though she had to pull her wand on the merpeople to get away with it. They were only supposed to take one hostage each. But Fleur wouldn’t be coming anyway, and she was cheering her opponent on as the Gryffindor worked to get two bundles of dead weight to the surface. It was lucky she hadn’t waited longer for Fleur because the Gillyweed lost its effects moments before she surfaced, the gills vanishing, her feet shrinking back to normal as her head broke the surface and the image that had been magically projected on the lake vanished in a swirl of color. Harriet spit water. Ron and Gabrielle came to life and she released the red head as he tread water in favor of helping the little girl who didn’t seem to know how to swim. Ron was laughing as Harriet managed to guide Gabrielle to the platform, reassuring her in slightly broken French that everything was ok. Fleur yanked her sister out of the water sobbing into her shoulder as she clutched her. Percy bodily dragged Ron from the water and Cedric held out a hand to pull Harriet out of the lake. She took it and he shook his head holding her close on the edge of the platform. 

“You reckless beautiful Gryffindor.” With no more waring than that he kissed her as the crowd went mad. 

Madame Pomphrey broke them apart shoving a pepper up potion at Harriet and demanding to check her ankle where she’d been attacked by the Grindylows. She’d known the spell to repel them though and hadn’t been badly injured. Harriet drank the potion, her ears steaming as her face went even redder than it had been. Fleur rushed up to her and pulled her into an embrace. 

“You saved my little sister! I can never thank you enough.” Harriet shook her head. 

“It’s fine.” Fleur kissed both of her cheeks and then Ron’s caught in the emotion of the moment as she wrapped her sister in a second towel. The points were tallied and she hugged Cedric hard they were tied for first place. He swung her off her feet in celebration as the crowd cheered.


	10. Year Four (4)

Cedric was a little confused when Harriet cut their date to Hogsmeade short and ran off with Hermione and Ron. It wasn’t totally unusual behavior for her but he was still a little worried. He spotted her petting what looked like a stray dog and smiled as his friends pulled him into Zonkos. He’d seen that dog earlier before he met Harriet at Honeydukes. It was quite friendly, had walked right up to him and sniffed him curiously. Allowed itself to be pet and wagged its tail before wandering off again.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sirius pulled Harriet into a bony hug. He was thinner than he had been and glad they had managed to bring as much food as they had, knowing his goddaughter she’d probably made friends with the house elves at Hogwarts. But he was just happy she was in one piece after everything that had happened, and happy to see him, though worried that he might be caught. 

“Don’t worry I’m pretending to be a loveable stray.” He grinned as he tore into the chicken. “I met your boy.” Harriet went bright red. 

“How did you even know about him!” Sirius looked up from his chicken sardonically and pointed to a stack of Daily Prophet’s in the corner of the cave. Harriet blushed madly at the photo on the cover. Cedric was swinging her up in his arms on the platform on the lake. They were laughing and cheering in the photo, though it had clearly been taken from the stands. 

“Someone sold it to the Prophet, for once they were quiet as to who that was.” 

“Ten galleons says it was Collin!” Ron snorted. Hermione shook her head. 

“More likely to be a Slytherin.” Sirius shrugged. 

“Doesn’t matter, he seems nice. But that’s not why I came all the way back out here.” Their discussion about Crouch, Karkaroff and Bagman lasted quite a while. It worried him that not only was Karkaroff coming into the castle unchallenged and interrupting lessons. But for now they had to focus on getting Harriet out of the Tournament alive. He didn’t care if she won. It would be the best outcome all around but as long as lived he was happy. Previous Triwizard Tournaments had a habit of not even getting this far without losing a champion. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Harriet was incensed at what they had done to the Quidditch, hedges were growing, almost at knee height now. They would be extremely tall by the time the maze was done but Bagman assured both her and Cedric, who was equally upset about the mess they’d turned the pitch into, that the whole thing would be vanished after the final task. The four champions lingered outside the pitch after Bagman left. Fleur was apologizing for her earlier cold behavior towards Harriet. 

“I did not think they taught French at Hogwarts though.” She commented. Harriet shrugged. 

“They don’t as far as I know. I grew up with Muggles, in primary school you got to pick a language. My cousin took German cause he liked that he could shout a lot. I took French.” Fleur smiled and hugged her pecking her on either cheek before heading back to the carriage. Krum though was frowning. 

“My I have a word?” Cedric raised an eyebrow, Krum was clearly looking at Harriet. She shrugged. 

“Sure.” Cedric’s frown grew deeper. Krum seemed to notice. 

“If you wish, you can come too, I just want a word about Hermione.” Cedric’s smile slipped back into place. If he was looking for advice on Hermione Harriet was the girl to go to. He led the two of them into the forest, just on the fringes but the local clearly made Harriet a little nervous. He didn’t blame her, he’d heard about some of the things in this forest, giant spiders, the centaurs grew less friendly every year. More than unicorns wandered here. 

“I have offered Hermione to come see me this summer but I wish to get her a gift as well but I do not know what she would like.” Harriet smiled at him. 

“Books, trust me. The girl can never have enough books. Magical history and law are her favorites, but the more difficult a thing is to learn the more fun she has doing it.” Viktor smiled and nodded. 

“Thank you. I also wanted to tell you that you fly very well. You should consider the professional league.” She lit up at that. He continued. “I am glad you do not disapprove of our relationship. I was concerned.” Harriet shrugged. 

“Thanks, I actually hadn’t thought much about it. And it’s her life not mine, her choice. As long as she’s happy I’m happy.” Viktor smiled but Harriet frowned at something behind him. She darted forward and pulled Krum around so all three of them were facing the forest. Before he could protest he spotted the movement she’d seen. She slipped her wand out of the pocket of her skirt and Cedric and Krum followed suit. 

“What is it?” Cedric asked a now worried but she shook her head. 

“Knowing this forest could be anything.” At that a man came staggering out of the trees. Harriet recognized him first slipping her wand back into her pocket. “Mr. Crouch?” She was right, he was bedraggled, bloody and mumbling nonsense but it was him. He staggered forward grabbing hold of Harriet before either boy could do anything. He demanded to see Dumbledore but refused to walk further or release her, muttering about a horrible mistake he’d made. Something about Bertha Jorkins and most chillingly something about the Dark Lord. She turned to Cedric. 

“You know where Dumbledore’s office is?” He nodded. “Go I’ll be fine.” He nodded glancing at Viktor who nodded as well before Cedric took off at a run, full pelt towards the castle. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Cedric was slightly waylaid by Professor Snape but Dumbledore took him seriously, especially when it was revealed that he’d left the hallucinating ministry official with Harriet and Viktor. He’d never seen Dumbledore run before. When they reached the clearing it was completely empty. Cedric’s heart skipped a beat. 

“Lumos!” His wand ignited, the beam of light falling into the clearing and from the bushes there were two pairs of feet. He rushed to them and found Harriet and Krum. They were both out cold. It looked like she had fallen, he’d tried to catch her and fallen himself. Dumbledore gently pushed back Krum’s eyelid. 

“Stunned.” He did the same to Harriet. “Both of them.” Cedric could practically feel the anger bubbling under Dumbledore’s skin as he stepped forward and gently floated Harriet off Krum to land next to him. 

“I could run for Madame Pomphrey.” He suggested, though he was still very out of breath from running for Dumbledore. The Headmaster shook his head and raised his wand, two fully formed phoenixes burst forth and raced up to the castle. That done he turned back to the unconscious champions in front of him. Reviving them was easy getting them to lay still was much more difficult. 

“He attacked us!” Krum insisted and tensed as someone came bounding into the clearing, but it was Hagrid. Soon joined by Moody who said Snape had sent him. The game keeper was quickly sent off to retrieve Karkaroff. Krum continued. “The moment Diggory was out of sight Crouch let go of her shoved her and stunned her, I tried to catch her but…” He trailed off as Karkaroff arrived. He railed about treachery for a moment before it became clear that Harriet had been attacked as well, if Crouch’s aim was taking out Triwizard Champions he was not picky about which. Harriet confirmed Krum’s story but since she’d been stunned first she remembered less of what had happened, just that with a sudden strength she hadn’t thought Crouch capable of he’d shoved her, setting her completely off balance then nothing. 

Hagrid took Harriet and Cedric back to the castle giving them only a moment together in the Great Hall before insisting he take her the rest of the way to Gryffindor tower. 

“You’re sure you’re alright.” She shrugged her hands shaking. 

“I mean it’s not the first time I’ve been attacked on school grounds.” He pulled her close holding her tight. 

“I wish I could say it was definitely the last, but we still have a task left.” She laughed burring her head in his chest as he laid a gentle kiss to the top of her head. She was taller than she had been last year but she fit comfortably under his chin. Hagrid smiled at them. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Harriet quickly grew sick the requests to repeat what little she remembered of what had happened on the grounds. All she knew was that she wasn’t likely to have been the target of that attack which for her was weird. Her reasoning was solid according to Hermione, though Sirius and Ron were more skeptical. If whoever had taken Crouch had been the same person who put her name in the Goblet of Fire they were running out of chances to get her killed. They could have killed her there instead of stunned her, or even after stunning her. 

“They could have made it look like Krum and I had a duel or something after Cedric left, they could have killed both of us. But they didn’t, they just took Crouch.” While the reasoning was solid it was far from comforting. It made her wonder if there was a deeper plot at work here than just putting her in the Tournament. She didn’t share this belief with Cedric though, he had grown quite protective of her and even lent her his fifth and sixth year charms books to comb through for useful spells, not for the final task, he’d insisted. Just for safety. She’d also been displeased to discover a small crack in the ruby of the necklace Remus had sent her. She asked for Hermione’s help in repairing it and Hermione had frowned. 

“It looks like there were personal wards on this.” Harriet nodded admitting where the necklace had come from. 

“Wait were?” Hermione nodded. 

“Yes, they broke with the Ruby. It’ll take me some time to fix.” Harriet frowned. 

“Could that have happened when I got stunned?” Hermione got that look on her face like she did when she didn’t know much about something. 

“Haven’t gotten to wards in ancient runes yet but I suppose it’s possible.” Both of them were a bit distracted with preparing Harriet for the third task and soon the necklace was all but forgotten as the task loomed only days away.


	11. Year Four (5)

Albus grew more and more concerned about Harriet as the final task loomed. Her visions were growing in power and intensity. She had again been the snake as Wormtail spoke to a chair that emitted Voldemort’s voice. The snake had been too focused on Wormtail to look back at the chair. It had been promised that it would be able to feed soon and being denied again made it angry. But she had also learned about the fate of Neville’s parents when she grew too curious about the pensive and that seemed to connect some dots for her. Dumbledore was an accomplished Legilimens after all and unfortunately Harriet was easy to read. He would have to do something about that sooner rather than later. Neville had apparently had a particularly bad reaction to Moody’s demonstration of the unforgivable curses, similar to Harriet’s own and now she knew why. The two shared more similarities than Harriet could imagine, both could have been the child the prophecy referred to but Voldemort had chosen Harriet that night in Godric’s Hollow. He couldn’t help but wonder what she might be like if he hadn’t. 

The fact that Rita Skeeter caught hold of the news that Harriet was having any sort of vision at all was not a good thing and Dumbledore still wasn’t entirely sure how she was getting on the grounds. She was banned and he had bigger problems right now than a tabloid reporter, even if she pretended to be respectable. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Cedric was pleased to find his mother and father waiting for him in the room off the Great Hall. Krum’s family had shown and Fleur was chatting in rapid fire French but Harriet hadn’t appeared yet. Molly and Bill Weasley were waiting for her. Cedric frowned and asked his parents to wait a moment as he dodged back into the Great Hall. It was a good thing he did too, she was just about to leave the now deserted hall. 

“Harriet, come on!” She turned to him and he saw tears sparkling behind her smile. 

“I haven’t got any family Ced. Not a whole lot of point in me going back there.” He took her hand before she could turn away. 

“You get to meet my parents. Come on I told them all about you.” She blushed her tears vanishing as they raced together into the room. She gasped with delight as Molly shouted ‘Surprise!’ and hugged her. Bill shot him the thumbs up as he turned back to his own family. His dad elbowed him lightly. 

“So do we get to meet her properly?” Cedric blushed. 

“You met her over the summer dad.” 

“You weren’t dating her over the summer!” His mother added grinning, looking over at the butterflies in her hair and bouncing an eyebrow at Cedric. She wore them most days, called them a good luck charm. He blushed. 

“You can meet her later come on.” He waved at Harriet as he showed his parents out of the room. She beamed at him and mouthed ‘Thank you.’ He nodded. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The champions changed in silence, the girls on one side of a divider the boys on another. The outfits provided to them this time were the same color scheme as the ones from the first task, and the swimwear provided for the second task. They would be entering the maze based on their current ranking in points so Harriet and Cedric would be entering together. In all honesty the Pitch made a perfect place for this task. The audience was seated high enough that they could see into the maze, see every twist and turn it made, while the champions would have to face them as they came. As they stepped out onto the little bit of the pitch that remained hedge free there was a roar from the crowd. Cedric could feel the anticipation coursing through his veins. He squeezed Harriet’s hand she smiled. They had agreed that they wouldn’t hold back, they would each be trying to win this, it wouldn’t be fair to anyone otherwise. He let go of her hand as the whistle blew and they entered the maze. When they reached the first fork they paused. He grinned at her. 

“See you in the center.” She nodded and raced off the butterflies in her hair tinkling slightly as she ran, wand out and ready. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hermione was chewing her nails. It wasn’t a habit she did often but she didn’t usually have this level of adrenaline built up in her system when she could do nothing to help. Not even shout instruction, there was a muffling jinx over the whole maze, they could not hear what was happening in the maze and the champions could not hear them. Which was a bit of a shame because Harriet would have been so proud at the roar of awe and applause from even Beauxbatons and Durmstrang at her fully formed Patronus, and the whispers about how impressive it was that her bogart did not take the form of Voldemort. But Hermione couldn’t help but feel unease. Ron looked worried too. There seemed to be more obstacles in the way of every champion but Harriet even as she neared the center. She ran across Cedric after he had a run in with enormous Blast-Ended-Skrewt that was waddling around in the maze. He seemed alright though so they parted again, and that was when things really seemed to go wrong. 

Hermione glanced at Viktor as she had been doing every few minutes. She wanted Harriet to win, Harriet was like a sister to her, but she wanted Viktor to be alright too. He had stilled and was suddenly running. Fleur screamed and groans rose from the Beauxbatons students. Whispers raced around, no one seemed to know what obstacle had taken the girl down, but Moody was retrieving her unconscious body from the maze now. One champion down, three to go. Viktor was still running, directly into Cedric’s path. Lights flew and Cedric ducked which was lucky. He was not so lucky with the second curse. His screams reverberated through the pitch, echoed by boos and shouts from the crowd. Harriet, a hedge away, seemed to be able to hear what was happening and blasted and tore her way through the hedge stunning Krum as he turned to run from her. The crowd cheered but Hermione didn’t understand what was happening. Viktor wasn’t cruel, he was quite the opposite really, had even talked in earnest with her about house elf rights and promised her his support but he had been torturing Cedric. And if he had been lying to her, then why run from the less experienced witch. Harriet was three years younger than him, with years less experience and training than he had. If he was willing to torture to win this why just Cedric? 

The two Hogwarts champions seemed to deliberate for a moment before Cedric sent up red sparks above Viktor and the pair split again. Moody collected Viktor as the crowd whispered. Two champions down, two left. Harriet encountered a sphinx, and did not backtrack but instead seemed to solve her riddle as she stood and stepped aside for the girl after a few minutes. Hermione joined the cheers for that one. A sphinx’s riddle was a difficult thing, usually more logic based than magically inclined which was why they were so dangerous. Cedric and Harriet were nearing the cup from opposite sides but Cedric was faster than her. If it wasn’t for the Acromantula it might have taken him by surprise. But Harriet seemed to warn him just in time, sending a spell at the large spider. It decided she was worthier prey though and Ron screamed louder than any in the crowd as the spider descended on his best friend. Her scream echoed around the pitch this time. But she had at least survived as she went flying from its grip and crumpled to the ground. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Twin stunning spells finally felled the Acromantula and Cedric’s heart stopped, he couldn’t see Harriet. 

“You alright! Harriet!” 

“I’m ok!” Her voice was shaky with pain though and he hurried around the plinth that still held the cup to where she lay crumpled. Her leg was a mess of blood and sticky green Acromantula venom. Cedric hissed in sympathy. If left alone the venom could be deadly, but it was also a very slow acting poison, she wasn’t even likely to show symptoms for several hours. She tried to rise and failed. 

“Guess you win huh?” She said smiling at him through the pain. He shook his head. 

“That’s twice you’ve saved my life in here, princess. You should win, hands down.” She grimaced in pain. 

“That’s not how the game works Ced, I’m not winning any races right now, I can’t even stand up. Just take it, end this damn Tournament.” He shook his head. 

“No way princess.” He took hold of her and hauled her to her feet as she swore in pain. She really hoped Molly Weasley couldn’t hear them she’d be so disappointed in her for swearing. “Together, that way we both win, Hogwarts wins.” She snorted a laugh. 

“You Hufflepuffs and your compromises.” He laughed and nodded. 

“We are particularly good at finding middle ground.” She nodded. 

“Together then.” He nodded helping her limp to the plinth. He probably could have carried her but it wouldn’t have felt as equal that way. He gave the countdown and together they took hold of the cup. Trepidation gripped him as the familiar sensation of a portkey taking off took hold of him, one hand glued to the cup the other still around Harriet’s waist. 

They landed hard, and unpleasantly, Harriet’s injured leg giving out immediately. He managed to roll and sort of catch her as they caught their breath. He carefully maneuvered them up. They definitely weren’t anywhere near Hogwarts anymore, the landscape was too rural. They were in the middle of a graveyard and Harriet pulled out her wand shaking slightly. 

“Was the cup supposed to be a portkey?” He asked, voice lowered on instinct alone. 

“Not that I know of.” She muttered. They both tensed as someone approached. It looked to Cedric like a stooped man carrying a child wrapped in a cloak. He lowered his wand slightly Harriet remained on guard though. Then suddenly she convulsed against him, her wand dropping from her grip. She screamed as though under the Cruciartus curse, both hands at the scar on her forehead as she fell. He was unable to catch her as she spasmed in pain. 

“Harriet!” He dropped, kneeling next to her, unsure what he could do. She was in so much pain he was afraid to touch her. A high cold voice rang from near the bundle of robes. 

“Kill the spare!” Cedric didn’t even have time to turn before the spell was cast. The last thing he saw was Harriet screaming on the ground as the green light struck him and his world faded entirely.


	12. Year Four (6)

Watching from the bundle of rags did not mean that Lord Voldemort could not see everything that was happening. The childlike lump of flesh wrapped in the cloak he would soon wear was more of a tether, something to sustain him until the blood ritual could be preformed in full. The boy in yellow and black, Diggory, fell to the grass beside Harriet as she gasped for breath her pained screams tapered off into whimpers. She was crying out the boy’s name, Cedric, as Wormtail quickstepped to her bodily dragging her to the tombstone of his father. A fitting place for this to happen Voldemort thought. She struggled and was slapped. That seemed to give her the clue as to who this was, but her wand had already been dropped, she was powerless to do anything as Wormtail did his work. 

He kept his focus on her, as it had been for quite some time now. Trussed up on the tombstone she looked like a sacrifice waiting for the knife, which he mused wasn’t completely untrue. Nagini startled her but didn’t frighten her in the visceral way most people feared snakes. He was almost disappointed, but he would soon see fear in those bright green eyes, watch as the light fled them as it had from her mother’s. He grew impatient as the cauldron rapidly heated. They did not have all the time in the world for this, unfortunately. 

She had come to him damaged, her leg was still sluggishly dripping blood though the venom, one he recognized easily enough, would not have the time to affect her. She would be dead at his hands long before it could reach her heart, Acromantula’s liked to play with their prey, hence the slow acting venom. He had no time to contemplate that now the potion was ready. 

Rising from the cauldron, once again flesh was exhilarating. Taking a breath with lungs, existence was sweet, the smell of blood, pain and death on the air made it all the sweeter. Now robed by sobbing one handed Wormtail he took a moment to appreciate life and the sweetness of it. His fingers practically rejoiced at holding his wand again, letting magic pour forth, throwing Wormtail at the girl’s feet as he whimpered and bled. 

When he pressed a finger to the Dark Mark on his servant’s arm he could feel the call, echoing through the web he’d woven so long ago. He smiled turning to the headstone. She was easy to talk to trapped like this, completely at his mercy. He would not kill her yet. First the witnesses must arrive, his followers they did though not as many as he had hoped for. He left the girl alone for a moment to chastise his Death Eaters. Her death would keep for a moment. But when he finally got around to her as he worked his way around the circle of Death Eaters he was smiling. 

When he caressed her face with a thin white finger the very touch seemed to cause her as much pain as the torture curse. He laughed drinking in the feel of her pain, her fear, her grief for the boy laying dead on the ground twenty feet away. He pulled his hand away from her almost gently and continued his tale. Torturing her was glorious, this child who had so often stood in his way, prevented his rise to back to power. But this was not how he would kill her. 

“Now Wormtail, untie her and give her back her wand.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Fear and adrenaline gave her the strength to stand. She barely felt her leg wound or the pounding in her head, or the stinging of her arm anymore. The only thing she could focus on was the thin golden line connecting their wands, the ghostly figures of his victims, the phoenix song piping around her almost as if from the wands themselves. Cedric smiled at her as her mother and father told her what to do. 

“Harriet, take my body back please.” She nodded desperation mixing with the tears in her eyes. “And don’t you dare spend the rest of your life mourning me.” It was hard to nod to that request but she managed it. 

She would never know how she really managed to even make it to Cedric. It was a blur, the cup was too far away and she too injured to lift a dead weight so she summoned the cup to herself. A part of her relished Voldemort’s scream of rage as she touched the cup, hand glued to it as it whisked her out of his grasp. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tombstones shattered around him as he roared in rage. The girl had escaped, living and dead proof of his return on their way back to Dumbledore. His Death Eaters coward as he spotted something glittering in the dirt where she had landed when she first arrived. It was a small filigrees butterfly, red and gold, delicate and magic forged. She’d had several of them in her hair, this one must have fallen out when her leg collapsed under her and she fell. He pointed his wand at it and it floated up into his hand. A perfect metaphor for the girl herself he mused as his rage boiled. Delicate, breakable, a life so short and fleeting as to be almost tragic. He would ensure it. 

“We have plans to make.” He hissed to his followers as his long white fingers closed around the butterfly. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Something had gone terribly wrong. Albus knew it the moment Cedric and Harriet vanished with the Triwizard Cup. The cup was not meant to be a portkey, it was meant to melt away the maze, banish the obstacles, leave the winner triumphant in the center of the field. But the maze remained, the obstacles skittered and shimmered in their places. He and the other judges rushed down to the field. There was nothing that could be done, without the portkey there was no way of telling where they had gone. Fudge and Madame Maxine were arguing loudly as the four who had been patrolling the edge of the maze reconvened with the judges. All faces were tense as the heads of houses and other professors tried to keep the crowd in check. Questions were circling though, and the voices were growing louder. When Karkaroff grabbed his forearm in pain Dumbledore knew that it was too late, a call had been sounded and only one man knew how to do that. He was not surprised when Karkaroff slipped away in the confusion and vanished. But not five minutes later he did become quite surprised. A loud dull thud sounded not four feet away from the crowd, but only he heard it everyone else was still arguing. Looking over at the entrance to the maze he spotted two bodies that certainly hadn’t been there before, the Triwizard cup falling from boneless pale fingers. He was at her side in a moment as the rest of the pitch seemed to realize what was happening. She was alive, bloody, wounded, covered in dirt and ash and sweat but alive by some miracle.

“He’s back.” He knew she saw him though the look in her normally bright green eyes was shattered beyond any look he had yet seen there. “He’s back. Voldemort.” Her words were barely above a whisper as tears began to slip down her face but they were not simply of fear as he guessed. Cedric was clutched in her arms, and he wasn’t moving or breathing. 

“My God. Diggory! Dumbledore he’s dead.” Trust Cornelius to point out the painfully obvious. That was when she started sobbing with abandon, sharp wracking sobs of one who had been through hell and back and wasn’t sure they even wanted to see the other side. It grew worse when Fudge tried to pry Cedric out of her grip. He was always hopeless with this kind of thing. Dumbledore was much more gentle. He managed to slip her hands free from the corpse, disentangle them, assuring her that she had fulfilled his final request, she had brought Cedric home. As the crowd began to panic he ordered that Harriet stay put more to those around her than the girl herself, she was too shellshocked and her leg too injured to leave of her own free will. 

As he managed to get the crowd under control and give Amos Diggory and his wife a moment alone with their child he realized that something was missing. Harriet’s quiet sobs had vanished. He turned to where he’d left her expecting her unconscious from blood loss or sheer exhaustion but no she simply wasn’t there. When he spotted who else was missing he knew he had made a mistake that had allowed all of this to happen, and that Harriet was in the hands of someone who meant her every ill will. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

He could not believe she had escaped the Dark Lord yet again. He was careful as he spirited her out of the pitch and to his office, carefully coaxing her though she hardly resisted. She was completely spent, emotionally and physically, barely able to answer his questions. That just wouldn’t do. He deposited her in the chair across from his own and shuffled in his desk. A pepper up potion would get her back on a more even keel, if only temporally. He had to practically pour it down her throat but it had the desired effect. She became coherent again. Still he didn’t have the details he wanted. 

He had to know how his Lord had tortured those who had never gone to Azkaban for him, those who had never suffered as he had. She was shocked nearly beyond words when he revealed that it wasn’t Karkaroff that had put her name in the Goblet, but him. She had escaped the Dark Lord yes but he would hand her corpse over to him after tonight. Watching the disbelief as he revealed every step of the plan to her was wonderful. He loved watching the fear and anger build in the eyes of his victims, it was something he and Bellatrix had always had in common. 

“I had to give you another hint.” She glared eyes flashing with anger. 

“You didn’t! Cedric…” The name caught in her throat, prevented more words and he took advantage of that. 

“The sweet boy was so far in love with you I knew he couldn’t resist giving you a clue. Even under the pretense of paying you back for warning him about the dragons.” Tears slipped silently down her face and he tracked the motion with his stolen magical eye. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

She ducked as the shapes in the foe glass became clear and just in time as the door was blown off its hinges three stunning spells striking Moody in the chest. Dumbledore rushed to her, closely followed by McGonagall and Snape. Harriet didn’t realize how badly she was shaking until she tried to stand and a scream was wrenched from her throat as her leg spasmed in pain from the still untreated Acromantula bite. McGonagall was the one who caught her before she could hit the floor who tried to guide her out of the door. But Dumbledore stopped them. McGonagall was reluctant but obeyed leaving Harriet in the chair Moody, but Not Moody, had placed her in. Learning that Sirius was here should have comforted her but she was so far removed from anything close to comfort that she wasn’t even sure what that word meant anymore. 

She had to levitate the imposter’s cloak to Dumbledore where he stood inside the trunk, whatever strength she’d had to stand in that graveyard had abandoned her and her leg might as well have been full of razor blades, the bone made of marshmallow for all the good it did her. Soon enough the false Moody, Barty Crouch Junior, was confessing everything under the influence of Veritaserum. When he reached the part of the explanation about his father arriving at Hogwarts he twitched almost violently. 

“Potter had grown too close to Diggory. If he had stayed behind with Krum I would have killed him and framed the Bulgarian. But my father must have had some sense left to him after all, he did not seize Diggory, but Potter, the one person I needed for the plan to succeed. I was forced to improvise.” He frowned. 

“I managed to place my father back under the Imperious curse, only for a moment. He shoved Potter, I stunned her. I knew Krum would catch her, she would not be harmed. I knew my master would forgive me if the plan succeeded. I stunned Krum too, modified his memory so he would believe that my father had a wand. It did not require much, it was not a large change to the memory since he already believed my father to have attacked her. Potter’s back was turned when I stunned her, her memory required no modification. I killed my father.” He continued speaking mechanically. When Crouch finished and silence echoed around the room Dumbledore turned to Harriet. He left McGonagall in charge of Crouch who looked as out of focus as Harriet felt. Dumbledore did not take her to the hospital wing though, instead he took her up to his office where Sirius was waiting. 

Sirius picked her up bodily and carefully set her in the chair hissing at the blood and dirt on her clothes. Fawkes the phoenix was a comforting presence leaning his head against her mangled leg, silvery tears dripping into the wound, burning away the venom leaching her strength. But even then she didn’t know how she got through telling him everything that had happened that night. Maybe it was Fawkes still leaning on her leg, maybe it was the pressure of Sirius’s hand on her shoulder, a grounding presence she sorely needed right now. The explanation of what had happened between her and Voldemort’s wands was a more complex thing. 

Fawkes cooed at her moving from leaning on her leg up to her knee in a swift motion and allowing her to run a tired hand along his feathers. She choked on the last words Cedric had said to her. Not his request to bring his body back but the order not to mourn him for the rest of her life. Dumbledore nodded, a sad smile on his face. 

“Cedric was always wise beyond his years. It will hurt, losing him, for a long while. I do not believe that he meant for you not to mourn, simply to not lose yourself to that grief, to someday find happiness in spite of the pain.” Sirius pulled her into a gentle embrace as Fawkes let off a gentle peel of music. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Molly was frantic. She had thought the worst when Harriet disappeared from the Pitch with the cup and Cedric. She had reappeared but Cedric was dead and she had vanished again, word spread like wildfire. Moody had been a Death Eater in disguise, the whole year. Rumor sparked through the crowd. Harriet was dead. Harriet was in the hospital wing. Harriet was in the clutches of the fake Moody. The hospital wing seemed like the best of outcomes, and that was where they were escorted; Molly, Hermione, Ron and Bill but Harriet wasn’t there. She arrived not too long after though with Dumbledore, a great black dog loping along by her side. She looked beyond tired, grief shattered her green eyes. Molly wanted to rush forwards and embrace her but Dumbledore interceded. The dog would be staying too.

They left her alone for a moment to change. Madame Pomphrey fussed, with a wave of the healers wand she was clean and dressed in comfortable pajamas, the butterflies from her hair floating to the table. It was then that Harriet realized disjointedly that one of them was missing, one of the Gryffindor ones. She wasn’t sure how she had any tears left to cry, much less over something so trivial but cry she did. She seemed glad when the great black dog hopped up on the bed next to her and allowed himself to be hugged. Let her burry her head in his fur and hide her tears from the world. After what felt like an eternity she managed to pull herself back out of his fur and swallow a few mouthfuls of the sleeping draught. She was out almost instantly, Molly barely catching the bottle as it would have slid from her fingers. The dog sat at attention on the end of her bed as Madame Pomphrey tended the wound on her charges arm, a long knife gash. 

When Fudge came barging into the Hospital wing, starting up an argument about Voldemort having returned or not no one noticed Harriet wake up. She made them all jump when she spoke, pointing out the obvious, that Fudge had been reading the trite written by Rita Skeeter. Her voice was hollow and never really changed in volume. The dog whined in concern nosing at her hand. It was with a completely desolated expression that she silenced Fudge with one sentence. 

“You think I would lie about how the boy I loved died.” It wasn’t a question, more of an observation, but coupled with everything else that had happened that night it had Hermione in silent tears as Fudge spluttered. Dumbledore took advantage of the quiet it had caused though to outline a plan to Fudge that was shot down at every turn as the Minister continued to bluster. When he would not be convinced he dumped a bag of gold at the end of Harriet’s bed and left. Harriet stared at the closed bag as though it contained some kind of visceral horror and the very sight of it made her ill. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sirius didn’t want to leave, not while Harriet still looked so broken but if he could help head off the storm that was coming he had to. She understood, sweet smart girl that she was and let him go, leaving her with the Weasleys and Hermione. They would look after her until he could get back. 

Molly had to persuade Harriet to take the rest of her sleeping potion. The sweet child offered her the winnings, she didn’t want them. Didn’t even want to look at them. But she couldn’t seem to get rid of them. The Diggorys visited her. Molly couldn’t help but listen in, she knew Amos could be quite unkind at times but that was the last thing Harriet needed right now. He stayed quiet through most of the meeting. When she told him what Cedric had said to her, the last request, all of it he had smiled. 

“He truly cared for you. He really did. He wrote to us about you, about your reaction to that spell his mom taught him.” He huffed a wet laugh and seemed to lose his voice. Harriet had no words to offer back. They wouldn’t take the winnings either. Hagrid seemed to get it, she was not okay, she did not want to talk about it, someday she would be. 

The end of term feast had her in tears again, but they were silent, slow falling ones that she could not have stopped. Dumbledore spoke about Cedric and she listened as though numb. She wished she could have avoided the feast entirely when he brought her into the conversation but at least she didn’t have to tell anyone what had happened. 

Fleur and Krum sought her out before they left. Both believed every word of what Dumbledore had said. Fleur held her and promised to write as often as she could, that she would be there if she was needed. Krum was nearly silent in his comfort but it would have been unlike him to say much. She understood him well enough anyway. He was angry. The champions had formed, while maybe not a fast friendship, a bond with everything they had been through. He was angry at Barty Crouch Junior for everything he had done, angry at Voldemort for Cedric, angry at the world on her behalf. He did manage a private word with Hermione too, Harriet hoped it went well, someone deserved to be happy. She felt too numb to even notice that the horseless carriages that normally took them too and from the Hogwarts Express were not in fact horseless. 

On the train back she finally managed to rid herself of the winnings that had been weighing on her conscious and mind since Fudge had practically thrown it at her. She gave it to Fred and George threatening to toss it in a muggle garbage bin. Malfoy antagonizing her into attacking him actually felt rather cathartic. And she knew she could do with a few good laughs, if she even could anymore. SO she didn’t call it a donation, they’d never have taken it. She called it an investment, made them promise to get Ron some decent dress robes too. As she loaded her trunk into the car she caught Dudley looking at her oddly but couldn’t find it in herself to care. She’d taken off the butterflies, hidden them in her trunk. If Uncle Vernon found them, thought they were worth something he’d take them and she’d never see any of them again. Hopefully she would get word soon that she could leave the Dursleys. She stayed quiet staring out of the window as they drove back to Privet Drive.


	13. Year Five

Dudley Dursley did not strictly enjoy lying to his parents. He lied to them because he knew they wouldn’t approve of what he and his friends really got up to. He had seen what they did to things they didn’t approve of. They had never approved of Harriet. She’d spent the majority of their childhood living in a cupboard. When he’d first mentioned this in front of a friend from school’s mother she had come over to the house and frankly asked if she should be worried about her own son’s safety around them if they kept a child in a cupboard. That was the first time he’d heard his mother lie to anyone. 

“Oh Dudders has his little jokes. Her room is just a bit smaller than his. So he jokes she lives in a cupboard.” That had placated the woman but his father had told him to never mention it to anyone again when he took him out for ice cream, they’d left Harriet at Mrs. Figg’s place. They had been six at the time. They weren’t six anymore. They were both fifteen and they couldn’t be more different. Harriet was still skinny, but over this summer puberty seemed to realize that she was in fact fifteen and she had grown into herself quite a bit. She was taller now around five four, her hair reaching to just above her hips, still as jet black and unruly as ever. But as one of his friends had pointed out one afternoon when they spotted her sitting on a park bench reading a newspaper she wasn’t a kid anymore. It probably helped that she didn’t wear as many of his hand me downs now. She had t shirts with the words ‘Weird Sisters’ printed on them, that actually fit her; though she wore one of his old hoddies over them when around the house. A few shirts had French writing on them that Dudley didn’t understand. His gang had made some comments he’d rather not have heard about the girl who slept in the room next to his and he’d made retching noises and reminded them that she was his cousin and went to a school for freaks and criminals. 

“Danger is sexy Big D! I’d do terrible things to her!” Gordon had gotten a right hook to the face for that. They never brought up her looks around him again but he’d seen them catcalling her a few times but they never came close. Honestly he was glad, he remembered Aunt Marge, blowing up like a balloon while Harriet fled the house. She was a witch after all, and not to be messed with. But height and curves were not the only way his cousin had changed. She had always been a bit odd, but since coming home from her term she was quiet. Skulking around the house only when forced to be there, otherwise spending as much time out as possible. She was quiet now, except at night. He didn’t think she knew he could hear her through their shared wall sobbing at night, when her dreams woke her with a quickly swallowed scream. Calling out a boy’s name in her sleep, begging him not to leave, begging for his life, begging for her own life. It was moments like that he was glad he wasn’t a witch or wizard. 

But as the cold and dark closed around them he panicked ignoring her order to stay put, that he was running right at it. He could barely hear her over the icy fog filling his brain. Voices echoed around him, voices of people that couldn’t possibly be here right now. The voices of his teachers from Smeltings. 

“That Dursley boy should be tossed out for the things he does!” 

“He’s nothing more than a bully and that’s all he’ll ever be.”

“He’ll grow up to be just like his father, a bully with no real future.” 

“I hope he never reproduces, can’t abuse a child like his father does to them if he doesn’t have any.” 

The cold rushed away, but the empty horrible feeling was not a quick to flee despite the massive silver stag that drove the shadows back, restoring sight, sound and warmth to the world before vanishing. He was shaking and felt sick. He barely registered Mrs. Figg arriving, let alone Harriet managing to heave him up on one shoulder and somehow keep her wand in hand the rest of the way back to number four. When they arrived his father accused Harriet of doing this, but she’d saved him; the stag coming from the tip of her wand. He tried to say so but words weren’t coming he managed her name and his father seemed to think he was accusing her. 

Before anyone could do anything, before Harriet could blink he had backhanded her across the face. She apparently hadn’t been expecting it for the blow sent her spinning to the ground, her face meeting the edge of the coffee table with a crack. Blood poured from a clearly broken nose as she scrambled back to her feet, out of reach of his father this time. One hand held her nose, more to staunch the flow of blood than anything though it slipped between her fingers, staining one of his old shirts that was now hers. The other was in her pocket, where he knew her wand was but she did not draw it, warnings from the letters the owls had been bringing nonstop seeming to be the only thing stopping her. Then his father tried to throw her out of the house entirely but as he did a red envelope was delivered by yet another owl, but this was not for Harriet. 

The voice would haunt him for the rest of his days, echoing and downright creepy. It only spoke one sentence from the flames of the burning red envelope. 

‘Remember my last, Petunia.’ 

Whatever that meant it was the button that his mother could not avoid. She somehow convinced Vernon that Harriet had to stay, that she was not to leave the house again. She sent her to bed with a lot of unanswered questions but Dudley was again focusing on the words he’d heard when the dementors had approached them. They played over and over in his head as he stared at a spot of blood on the living room carpet. It had soaked into the weave by the time he had a clear thought and looked up at the ceiling, above which his cousins room rested. In that moment it became clear to Dudley Dursley that his father was not a good man, and that he hadn’t been one either. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Harriet left her room the next morning only to clean off her throbbing nose and shower off the dried blood. She could do nothing to repair it, save snapping it back into place which hurt and caused more blood to drip down the shower drain. The bruise grew darker as the days dragged on, she didn’t take anything for it, she needed her wits about her if something else happened. Four days dragged by since that night, since she’d sent Hedwig out to get some kind of answer from someone. Her only minor cheer in that time was an eagle owl landing in her window. This was a familiar bird, belonging to Viktor Krum, a famous Quidditch player and fellow Triwizard Champion. The three still living champions had been keeping in contact over the past month and Harriet was sure that without that she would have gone mad. 

It was the only real connection to the wizarding world she had right now. But Viktor and Fleur were both in different countries. Viktor in Bulgaria and Fleur in France though she was filling out paperwork to work in Wizarding England. Neither of them had heard whispers of Voldemort. Viktor’s letter was much the same as it had been. Training for the next round of Quidditch playoffs was taking up much of his time and he hoped she was doing well. She snorted as she sat down to write a reply. 

‘Hey Viktor,

Well if you count getting attacked by Dementors a few streets away from my aunt and uncle’s house as doing fine, then I’m fine. I might be expelled from Hogwarts because I defended myself and my cousin.’ She paused, none of this was Viktor’s fault nor could he do anything about it. She considered balling up the letter but right now she just didn’t have the energy to lie. ‘I’m starting to wish I had never come back here. I’m glad the playoffs are going well. Wish I could be there instead of here. Have you heard from Hermione? I wrote to her the night of the attack and haven’t heard back. I’m starting to get worried. Hopefully I won’t still be at my aunt and uncles when you get this. 

Harriet.’ 

It wasn’t a happy letter but then again nothing these days was really happy. She folded the letter by hand, addressed it and gave it to the eagle owl who was drinking from Hedwig’s water dish. It ruffled its feathers and took off out the window. Harriet left it open hoping Hedwig would return soon as she laid back down careful not to jostle her nose. 

She didn’t really mind the Dursley’s leaving. Not like it made a whole lot of difference right now anyway, even when Uncle Vernon locked her door. She stayed in her room trying to sleep until something broke in the kitchen. She rolled silently off her bed, repressing a pained hiss. Snatching up the knife off her bedside table she stepped over to her door. The knife had been a gift from Sirius, it was like a pocket, knife but more versatile, as there were attachments to unlock any lock or undo any knot. If she couldn’t do magic she could at least defend herself. Her doorknob rattled. 

“Harriet?” That was the voice of Remus Lupin one of her father’s best friends and one of her previous defense against the dark arts teachers. “Open the door please Harriet, we’ve come to get you.” The knife fell from boneless fingers as she breathed a sigh of relief. But unfortunately her door was the one in the house that did not lock or unlock from the inside. 

“I would love to but Uncle Vernon locked me in and I can’t unlock the door from this side.” Her voice was horse from disuse. A pause rang through the house before the lock clicked and the door swung open. It was Remus, standing in her door, wand in his hand looking more than concerned as he looked her over. But she didn’t care she rushed into his arms and he hugged her, though he seemed startled by the affection. Gently he tilted her chin up so she would look at him. 

“How did this happen?” Harriet’s eyes darted away from him and he knew. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Alistor Moody had always had what his mother called an overactive sense of justice. It had served him well in his years as an auror and served him well now in the Order of the Phoenix. So when Harriet Potter’s eyes flicked away from Lupin at his question he knew that she was being abused. It had probably been going on for years. The thought made his blood boil. Dumbledore knew, he knew everything that happened with this girl, often before she did. He was sure it was the girl, a Death Eater wouldn’t be able to fake the mannerisms of someone living in a place she despised this well. But he had Lupin check just in case even though the werewolf shot him a dirty look as he gently ran his wand across her face, the bruise vanishing. 

“What form did your father take as an Animagus?” 

“Stag.” He nodded. Kingsley frowned. 

“Didn’t know James was an Animagus.” Remus smiled slightly. 

“Neither did the ministry.” Tonks laughed. Soon they had her packed and were flying away, a note left behind for the Dursley’s though Harriet maintained that they would not care. Moody knew she was telling the truth. Someone who did that to a child did not care if they came home to her gone. They got her to Grimmauld Place in one piece, though Lupin later commented that her nose was just a bit more crooked than it had been even after the magical healing. The meeting dragged on, and he watched through the ceiling as Potter finally exploded in rage at her friends for the lack of information, lack of anything she had gotten over this summer. He couldn’t really blame her either. He thought it was stupid of Dumbledore to keep her in the dark. She might be the best shot they had against the Dark Lord and keeping her blind and deaf to everything that was happening was going to put her at more risk but he’d be damned if Dumbledore listened to a word he said these days. Potter didn’t trust him either, but that made sense. He’d have been worried if she had trusted him. After spending nine months in the company of an imposter wearing his face who’d attacked her and served her up on a silver platter to the Dark Lord. He refocused on the meeting.


	14. Year Five (2)

Harriet was sort of wishing that the Weasleys still had the flying car. She would prefer taking that back to Hogwarts this year rather than sitting alone in a train compartment; no matter how much trouble it got her in. In all honestly she should just be glad that she was even still able to come to Hogwarts. The trial would have been a disaster if Dumbledore hadn’t shown up but he’d not once even looked at her much less spoken to her. The only good thing that had come from this summer was that she had gotten to spend more time with Sirius than she ever had before. He had been more help than most, insisting that she get some answers even despite orders to keep her in the dark. She shared a room with Hermione and Ginny at Grimmauld Place but it had been Sirius who comforted her after the nightmares woke her screaming. It was Sirius who let her rant to him after the trial, rail at Dumbledore without judgement. It was Sirius who she had opened up to about Cedric. The face that haunted her dreams so often now. He’d marveled at the butterflies when she’d shown them to him. There had been half a dozen of them originally now there were only five. One had been lost to the graveyard with Cedric. She had no idea where it was now, if it still lay in the dirt of that grim place or if it had been destroyed in the fight and likely aftermath of her escape. He’d held her as she cried. He’d even come with them to the train station, as Snuffles. 

But she didn’t stay alone for long. She was soon joined by Neville, Ginny, a girl Ginny introduced as Luna with a blush. A Ravenclaw in the same Ginny, the two sat quite close reading the same upside down magazine. Neville was quite proud of his new plant. Running into Cho hurt. She had been Cedric’s best friend, and seemed to be taking his death just as hard as Harriet herself. The horses at the carriages remained a mystery even when Luna dreamily assured her that she was not the only one who saw them. But this year just seemed to get worse as it dragged on. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hermione was beyond angry. After everything Harriet had been through Dumbledore had told her and Ron not to write and reveal anything they might find out living at the Headquarters of the Order. When she finally did get rescued from the Dursleys it was revealed that her uncle had broken her nose and Hermione thought Sirius was going to storm out and literally commit murder. Now the Ministry was interfering at Hogwarts and their new defense against the dark arts professor was completely useless. Worse than really. Hermione’s resolve hardened as she watched Neville help Harriet soak the newly carved words on the back of her hand, ‘I must not tell lies.’ There was no way she would stand for this, though Harriet was reluctant to agree to lead this new underground club. Still the DA was formed and lessons began in secret in the room of requirement. 

It was interesting watching Harriet instruct someone else, many someones actually, in things she’d learned last year. In preparation for the last task Harriet, Ron and Hermione had gone over magics usually considered far too advanced for their age range. But watching for the first time as a real smile blossomed over Harriet’s face made Hermione sure that this was not only good for the students learning to defend themselves but for Harriet herself who had been much less happy at Hogwarts this year. Not that she could blame her, whispers followed her friend everywhere. 

Her scar hurting, seeming to act as a tuning fork to Voldemort’s emotions made things worse. Even Neville seemed to notice that Harriet was getting ‘headaches’ more and more often. He’d talked to Professor Sprout about what kind of plants would be best for treating chronic migraines. If only it really was that simple. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Neville Longbottom was not an excellent wizard. He had been told that so often, by teachers, his grandmother never stopped comparing him to his father, to whom he would never measure up. It was rare that a professor actually took the time to coax him out of his shell. Professor Sprout was best at it, she understood him and he shone in herbology, his marks right behind Hermione. Remus Lupin had too and his defense mark had soared. So standing in the Room of requirement as Harriet adjusted his grip on his wand he couldn’t help but smile. She was patient with him, and confident that he did have the ability to keep up with everyone else in this room. They were just practicing for the last meeting before Christmas, but after much begging from many present Harriet decided that as an end of lesson treat she would show them what a fully formed Patronus looked like. They cleared back leaving her a space in the middle of the room. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and spoke the incantation. 

A massive stag burst from the end of her wand, made of pure silver mist. It galloped the length of the room, circling the area they had left open as gasps and cheers filled the room. She had conjured one in the maze last year but from the height of the stands it had been impossible to see it clearly, just a streak of silver. It circled back to her and she smiled fondly at it. After another moment it dissolved into mist. She sighed and spoke. 

“Now a Patronus is different for everyone who casts one. From what I understand their form is very personal to the person casting them. If we get lucky we might see about casting them after the holidays.” Cheers erupted. Nevil hung around as the others trailed out. He and Harriet were the last two left in the room. He stepped over to her. 

“Can I ask you something?” She nodded clearing up the last of the cushions. “Do you really think I’ll be able to cast a Patronus? That’s really advanced magic, and not everyone even can.” She looked up at him. 

“Neville I have every confidence in you. A Patronus…” She paused as though gathering her thoughts. “A Patronus takes a large amount of energy, it’s difficult to sustain but one of the reasons it’s so difficult to cast in the first place is because it isn’t just magic that you need to make one. You need a memory, the happiest one you’ve got, it has to be a really powerful memory.” She tucked her wand back in the pocket of her skirt. 

“After everything that happened last year I wasn’t sure I would be able to cast it again.” Absently she rubbed her scar. That reminded him. He pulled a wrapped package out of his bag. 

“I wanted to give you something, for Christmas. I know it’s early but I think it might help.” He handed her the package. “I noticed you’d been getting headaches a lot. It’s tea, a blend to help with chronic migraines. Professor Sprout recommended the blend.” He failed to mention that he had dried out the leaves and flowers himself with Sprout’s encouragement. She smiled at him, a rare genuine smile. They had become so few and far between since the final task last year, it was nice to see her happy because of something he did. 

“That’s so sweet Neville, thank you.” 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hermione wasn’t sure what had woken her at first. After a moment she heard a sound, a whimper. She shot up in bed, eyes zeroing in on Harriet’s bed immediately. Her nightmares had tapered off through the school term but if she was forced again into the graveyard Hermione had sworn to be there for her, though only to herself. But the instant she laid eyes on her friend she knew something was wrong. When not trapped in nightmares Harriet was a quiet sleeper. She did not move, she made no noise, as if trained to draw as little attention to herself as possible even when asleep. She always curled up onto the smallest amount of the four poster that she could, probably a leftover from years in a cramped cupboard. 

But tonight found her friend splayed out as she had been when she landed on the pitch with the Triwizard cup and Cedric last year. Her head was rolling and twitching as if following something. A low hissing sounded off and on through the room and after a moment Hermione realized that it was coming from Harriet, she was speaking parsletongue in her sleep. That was a first and it was unnerving. The other girls seemed to have heard it too. Then suddenly she was jerking as though a sezure was wracking her body. Hermione leapt into action as Eloise screamed. 

“Parvati run for McGonagall now!” The girl did not question it, she took off at top speed. Hermione rushed to Harriet who wasn’t screaming but her eyes were rolling under their lids and no matter what Hermione did she wouldn’t wake. It wasn’t until the tremors stopped, suddenly as they had begun, that Harriet sat bolt upright, both hand covering a scream as McGonagall arrived. Hermione didn’t catch much of what was said between the two as McGonagall whisked Harriet away, something about Ron’s dad. But in moments the dormitory door shut behind them. Hermione stayed awake that night but neither returned, she did hear someone rush to the one just below theirs. Someone left and silence fell again.


	15. Year Five (3)

Being awoken at two in the morning wasn’t unusual for Albus Dumbledore. He was headmaster and despite rules and guidelines Hogwarts never really slept. But he was nearly angry at Minerva for bringing Harriet to his office. He had been quite specific to her Professors, all of whom were members of the Order with the exception of Trelawny and Umbridge, that Harriet was to be kept as far from him as possible. No he hadn’t given reasons, just that it was for her safety. Yet here she was shaking like a leaf in a Gryffindor themed night gown and black robe. The dream disturbed him. He was right and for once he hadn’t really wanted to be. 

She was unconsciously making contact with Nagini, had watched through the snakes eyes as the great serpent had attacked Arthur Weasley. But if she hadn’t they never would have found him in time. He was rushed to St. Mungo’s as McGonagall collected the other Weasleys quickly and explained the situation. Ron went wide eyed. George spotted Harriet in tears, trembling in her seat and rushed to her. Fred was holding Ginny. They were all shocked when they heard the news. He managed to get them out before Umbridge got to his office but as they were leaving he spotted Harriet’s eyes and for just a moment they flashed, not red, but the look in her eyes told him that something else had been happening insider her mind. Something she was not in control of. But then she and the Weasleys vanished. 

He nodded to himself as he calmly sat down readying himself for Umbridge’s tirade at the loss of Harriet and the Weasleys days early. He knew Fudge had given her orders to keep an eye on Harriet but she was far too zealous about that. Harriet would carry the words ‘I must not tell lies.’ on the back of her hand in her own handwriting for the rest of her life. If he could have been sure that Voldemort was unaware of their connection and the nature of it he would have put a stop to it sooner. But there was nothing he could be certain of at the moment. 

He was not sure that Voldemort didn’t know what he had done to Harriet that night when he’d killed her parents and attempted to kill her. He was nearly certain that the Dark Lord remained unaware of his seventh Horcrux, he would not be so quick to attempt to destroy her if he was aware. But since returning he may have made the same connections Dumbledore himself had. After all Tom had always been clever. Even if he didn’t connect the dots to identify her as a Horcrux he seemed to be becoming aware of the connection between them. If they got lucky he would believe it was a biproduct of the ritual he’d used to regain a physical body. But once fully aware of the connection he would make use of it of that Dumbledore had no doubt. So it was time to train the girl in Occlumency. He could not do it himself. If she accidentally invaded his mind, she would learn things she could not yet know or ever accidentally reveal to Voldemort. So he would hand her over to the next best option. Severus wasn’t exactly fond of her, but he was one of the most accomplished Legilimens that Dumbledore knew, the only one aside from himself who could block the Dark Lord. 

As Umbridge stormed out, no doubt to write to Fudge, Dumbledore couldn’t help but remember the nightmare he’d been woken from. It was a familiar dream, one he’d had often since she’d returned with news that Voldemort had come back last summer. In these dreams though she did not return. The cup came back with Cedric alone, still dead. When, in these dreams, he went to confront Voldemort his old student spoke in that high cold voice. 

‘Did you truly believe you could hide her true nature from me?’ It was there that the dream varied. Sometimes Voldemort would reveal an image of Harriet, trapped somewhere impenetrable. Usually in a deep enchanted sleep like the princess from muggle fiction she resembled, Snow White. An object to be defended and admired from afar. Other times were worse. Those times Voldemort drew back his cloak revealing her, dead eyed and lacking the will that she was now famous around Hogwarts for, without anything that made her Harriet left to her. A puppet for him to use as he wished. He always woke in a cold sweat from those dreams, glad he had never been good at foreseeing the future. Hoping that his lack of skill in Divination meant these dreams would never come to pass. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sirius would admit that while he was glad to have Harriet and the Weasleys he did wish the circumstances were a bit better. Harriet was pale and shaking as she told them about her vision. If he hadn’t known Lily so well he’d have thought she was telling them everything but she had the same tell as her mother. She relentlessly played with her hair when she was lying. He didn’t push the look in her face was haunted, if he had to guess he’d say she had not been a neutral bystander in the vision, but had either been the one attacked or worse been the attacker that had felled Arthur Weasley. When she pulled him aside and confirmed the worst of this vision and that she’d felt the same urge in Dumbledore’s office he pulled her close. She sobbed into his shoulder, she thought she was going mad and still Dumbledore told her nothing. Sirius had never been angrier at the man. 

She cheered when it became clear that Arthur would live but still cringed away from praise about the vision. Hermione told her that two of their dorm mates were now convinced that Harriet was a gifted seer and had, before she could stop them, told Trelawney. But it seemed that the Divination teacher was a bit too deep into worry about Umbridge to care. But she did seem to cheer up more after Hermione arrived and Sirius was grateful for that. Grateful to Ginny who seemed to have adopted Harriet as an older sister and refused to be shut out no matter the dark haired girls reasoning. He found them painting their nails one afternoon and sat down with them, Ginny had said that participation in girl time meant he had to have his nails painted too so he’d let Harriet paint his nails in Gryffindor colors while Ginny did Hermione’s in pale pink. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Neville had never told his friends about his parents. He didn’t want their pity, like he saw now as Ginny, Hermione and Ron stared. But one of them did not look at him with pity. Harriet had already known, he didn’t know how she knew, but the look in her eye told him she had, and she thought no less of him for it. There was understanding in her eyes as she squeezed his hand. He should have known that she would understand having her parents ripped from her by You-Know-Who or even just his followers. His Gran nodded as the other four Gryffindors retreated back down the ward. 

“I like that Potter girl, very respectful.” Neville nodded. 

“I like her too. She’s nice.” His Gran smiled and raised an eyebrow. 

“Maybe you should ask her to Hogsmeade one weekend.” Neville looked after Harriet, catching a glimpse of the light glinting off the butterflies in her hair. He frowned and shook his head. 

“Nah, she wouldn’t be interested in. She was with Cedric.” His Gran frowned. 

“Then I think what she needs right now is a friend, I know you can do that.” Neville nodded smiling slightly at his Gran, glad she approved of Harriet. Even if all he would be to her was a friend. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Severus frowned. Harriet was a terrible Legilimens. But with the emotions she had buried it was hard to be a good one. He watched, flashes of abuse at the hands of the family that had raised her. A dog chasing her up a tree, being left there all night. The pain of a broken nose. Dancing with Cedric at the Yule ball. Hiding the butterflies he’d given her so they would not be taken by her uncle. Laughing with him on the banks of the lake as he leaned closer. The stinging hex was a surprise, she hadn’t even meant to do it. It was powerful magic though and as far as he was aware not a hex she would have learned in classes, certainly not this year. 

But she did not improve with time. The year dragged on and the door to the Department of Mysteries seemed to grow ever clearer and closer to her. The interview she gave to the Quibbler came out and was promptly banned from the halls of Hogwarts. So naturally by the next day everyone had read it. He had to admit it was a bold move, likely not made by her alone. She was brave enough to do it but not smart enough to have thought of it in the first place. Severus suspected Hermione’s involvement but said nothing, even he liked seeing Umbridge squirm.

Her visions were becoming more complex though. The next time he delved into her mind and found one it was not of her as Nagini, but a vision through the Dark Lord’s own eyes as he questioned Rookwood and tortured Avery. When she did manage to defend herself though she accidently delved into his own memories. He would see to it that never happened again. This time he rooted around farther into the darker corners of her mind. Cedric pulling her into a classroom during their time together. The feel of his lips on her own, the excitement at the prospect that they might be caught. Slipping along a silent forest floor scaled and slithering. The corridor again but this time the door opened as she rushed towards it. He cut himself off that time and she looked just as startled as he. That had not been a vision she had experienced before. He shuddered internally at the thought that maybe he had gone to far, had found the point where her mind connected to the Dark Lord, for she wasn’t lying when she said the door had never opened for her before. But they were interrupted but the screaming from the Great Hall, Umbridge had gotten her way at last and Trelawney was being sacked.


	16. Year Five (4)

Harriet smiled as Hermione’s silver otter danced around the room of requirement. 

“Very good!” She turned to Neville who was still having troubles. He looked up at her, his face grew more determined. He closed his eyes and spoke the incantation again. This time instead of silver mist a large dog burst forth from his wand tip. Sleek, thin and long it loped around the room circling Harriet once as the room burst into applause. She grinned. 

“An Irish Wolfhound! Very good Neville!” He grinned even as the hound dissolved into the air again. Hermione stepped over to him as Harriet turned to help Justin Finch-Fletchly. 

“Powerful dogs, wolfhounds.” She grinned at him knowingly. “Usually used for hunting stags.” Neville went pink. But a much larger silver thing had burst from Justin’s wand, distracting them. Several of the wizard raised students screamed as the muggleborns, Harriet included, began to laugh. Even Hermione joined in. 

“The hell is that!” Ernie McMillon swore as Harriet managed to catch her breath. 

“A full sized Velociraptor, didn’t know it could be a dinosaur. Very nice Justin.” A few muggleborns were humming a song that made others burst out in further giggles. Harriet cleared her throat to get them back on track but before she could a loud crack sounded and Dobby arrived in the room. Within moments there was chaos, Umbridge knew about the DA, everywhere people were panicking. Fleeing students filled the halls and Neville lost sight of Harriet in the mess of bodies. 

But Harriet was not expelled, though the DA meetings stopped no one was arrested. But Dumbledore was now on the run and Umbridge placed in charge of Hogwarts entirely. Neville’s worry grew as the dark circles under Harriet’s eyes grew. She wasn’t sleeping. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

He would never admit it aloud but at first he had not noticed the difference. Legilimancy was a difficult art after all and much more complex than it seemed from the outside. An individual witch or wizards mind would shape itself against an intruder, even unconsciously. And the girls mind in its defense took the same shape as his. So when Lord Voldemort rested and slipped off to the halls of Hogwarts he thought nothing of it at first. That was until he found himself in a part of the castle he was loathe to admit he had not explored as thoroughly as he’d wished. Gryffindors were quite secretive against Slytherins after all. But standing in the red decorated plush tower room he knew he was not in his own mind. 

The child then, the girl Harriet. She was a Gryffindor, he thought as he ran a hand across one of the red and gold tapestries. But how? The blood ritual he’d used to regain a body, he answered himself. He had used the girl’s blood, to gain the protection her mother had left under her skin. Perhaps there were other affects as well. He smiled. This could be very useful. After all if he wished to hear the full prophecy and if Rookwood was right, he would need the girl to remove it for him. He sat carefully in one of the plush chairs thinking. But if this was indeed the girl’s mind then where was she. She had to be sleeping he mused, otherwise it would not be so simple to slip into her thoughts. He frowned at the two doors off the tower room. No telling which would lead him to the girl. But he was wasting a golden opportunity waiting here. So he stood and slipped up the stairs to the left. 

He did not find the girl, only a memory behind the door. She was under an invisibility cloak leg trapped in a stair watching a confrontation between Severus and Moody, well no not really Moody. His faithful servant Barty Crouch Jr. He shook his head, nothing useful here. He slipped past her on the stairs, a shadow here nothing more. Slipping through the door at the bottom he found himself in the dungeons. Near the Slytherin Common room. She had strayed quite off the beaten path for a Gryffindor. And used Pollyjuice to do it, he mused as he watched her disguised as a Slytherin boy, slip into the common room he’d loved so well with Draco Malfoy and another disguised Gryffindor. He followed and found himself in the Chamber of Secrets. But that was impossible, how could the child have found the chamber! His question was answered as he spotted his teenage self standing over her, she was maybe twelve years old and dying. She would have if not for Dumbledore’s phoenix. But she destroyed the diary. He hissed, anger bubbling as he learned of the loss of his Horcrux. Lucius Malfoy would have to pay for that. But his anger seemed to distort the memory around him. The next thing he knew he was standing stooped in a cramped dark room. She was sitting there too, still blind to his presence. 

The room was tiny, the ceiling looked as though it sat just under a set of stairs. There were spiders in every corner here but the girl didn’t seem to notice. Or if she did she did not care. She was curled up on a cot, barely thick enough to be called that. She had a muggle light in one hand and a book in the other. He recognized the title from his days in the muggle orphanage. Alice in Wonderland. It was an interesting read and the girl seemed to agree with him. She could not have been older than five and was so focused on the book that she did not hear the footsteps outside the room until the door was pulled open. She startled and desperately tried to hide the book and light from the man in the doorway. But he snatched both from her and slapped her across the face. He seized her arm and dragged her from what Voldemort now realized was a cupboard. He made her watch as he burned the book, spat in her face denying the existence of magic then locked her back in the cupboard where she sat and cried. 

It was a wonder, he mused as he watched the child sob, that she had not become an obscurial growing up in a home like this. A shame really, a dark power like that would be useful to him but most who developed the magical parasite didn’t live past ten anyway. He wondered why it was that she had never lost all hope and control. Her mind was obliging and gave him the answer. A letter delivered by the half giant, Hagrid. Then laughter and soft chatter. The room was bigger, much bigger than the cupboard and he found himself looking at a small group of girls on a slightly musty carpet painting each other’s nails in different colors. The bottle proclaimed a magical brand that changed as the wearer wished but that was not what interested him. The girls were not alone. Sitting in the center of the rug, carefully running the brush over the child’s nail was the one man who had, before Voldemort’s return, escaped Azkaban. Sirius Black’s laugher was like the bark of the dog Wormtail had told him the escapee transformed into. A query echoed through the girl’s mind, unspoken, as she laughed at the color changing polish on the man’s nails. 

‘Is this what it’s like, to have a father?’

Suddenly he was back in his own mind, staring up at the ceiling of the Malfoy Manor’s master bedroom. He smiled as Nagini slithered up onto the bed beside him. He turned over and stroked her. 

“Soon my pet, we shall have the girl exactly where we want her. And I know just how to do it.” Building the dream took time. Making sure she got into the Hall of Prophecy in her sleep did not take much coaxing, she was curious and curiosity was a dangerous thing. But he had to make sure the dream he would feed her was believable. This Alice would not be lured with a white rabbit alone. But he would have her soon enough. He watched with satisfaction as the dream took shape in her mind, right in front of the shelf he needed her for. Her father figure writhed before him, a creation based on every memory of him she had, so lifelike as to almost be real. He could feel the panic as the girl woke. Soon she would be trapped, soon he would know every word of the prophecy meant to be his undoing. Soon she would fall. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Neville jumped as Harriet screamed hitting the floor of the examination hall. She was shaking like she had been last year when she arrived back with Cedric’s corpse. The examiner escorted her out of the room insisting she’d had a nightmare but from the looks Ron and Hermione sent each other there was something far worse going on. Harriet did not return to the exam nor did he see her but when he spotted the Inquisitorial Squad trying to take Ginny he knew he couldn’t stand by. He ended up with a bloody nose but he’d found Harriet, ashen and at wand point in Umbridge’s office. When the new headmistress ordered Snape to bring a truth potion to interrogate Harriet with Neville thought them lost. But she’d apparently used up her supplies. He didn’t understand Harriet’s cryptic warning shouted at Snape. 

“He’s got Padfoot at the place where it’s hidden.” Whatever that meant Snape didn’t seem to know either. Harriet’s bright green eyes grew more panicked at that. Umbridge seemed to have gone power mad, convincing herself that it was well within her right to use the Cruciartus curse on Harriet until she was told what she wanted to know. Neville’s blood practically turned to ice at that as Crabbe loosened his grip around his throat. Umbridge revealing that it was she who had sent the dementors to attack Harriet this summer seemed the last straw and he could tell by the look on his classmate’s face that she would never tell Umbridge anything no matter the pain inflicted. Then Hermione started babbling about a weapon being ready. Neville could tell she wasn’t really crying. He’d seen her cry, she was a silent crier this was quite the opposite of that. Umbridge ended up dragging Harriet and Hermione out of the office and the DA members took their chance. Neville was the first to move, kicking backwards he landed a solid hit to Crabbe’s groin and the bigger boy released him and the wands he was holding. Neville caught them and stunned the girl holding Ginny then Crabbe himself. He fell into Goyle who released Ron. Turning on his heel he socked Goyle in the eye snatching his wand back and stunning the larger boy. Millicent Bulstrode made a break for the door. 

“Impedimenta!” Neville shouted and the girl slowed to a crawl as Ginny got off a bat bogey hex and snatched Hermione and Harriet’s wands from Malfoy as he screamed, swarmed by the great winged things sprouting from his own nose. Luna was first to the window. 

“Oh look they’re heading into the forest!” With nods all around the four of them took off out of the office and down to the forest. When they found Harriet and Hermione they were alone drenched with blood he really hoped wasn’t theirs. Apparently Umbridge had been carried off by centaurs, who had released Harriet and Hermione when Hagrid’s little brother showed up. There was no way Neville was letting his friends rush off into danger without him. Somehow all six of them wound up on thestrals on their way to the ministry of magic.


	17. Year Five (5)

Lucius Malfoy smiled. The Dark Lord was right, of course he was. He had lured the girl here, though he had made no mention of how to Lucius. And in her curiosity she lifted the prophecy free of the shelf. If she had just come alone it would have been so simple. He’d have stunned her and delivered her and the prophecy to the Dark Lord. Been forgiven for his misstep in handing the diary to a Hogwarts student before he was bidden. But she was not alone, surrounded by her little friends. He was starting to think he’d underestimated them as they smashed the shelves, split up and ran. 

But three were down, one left behind to care for them. Both Weasleys had been incapacitated, the girl with a broken ankle, the boy attacked by the brains in the jar. The mudblood was unconscious too, though he hadn’t seen what happened to her. Only Potter and Longbottom remained though he was little use to her with a broken nose, unable to articulate spells. She seemed to be about to give them the prophecy to spare him more pain. That was when the Order of the Phoenix showed up and everything went wrong. They almost caught the upper hand again when Macnair caught the girl around the throat but the Longbottom boy intervened on her behalf again driving his borrowed wand into the Death Eaters eye. Then Dumbledore arrived and Lucius knew they were beaten. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Watching her Godfather fall through that veil, knowing he would never return, it broke something inside her. But unlike with Cedric it was not grief but pure, unadulterated rage that filled Harriet now as she tore out of Lupin’s grip and off after Bellatrix, ignoring the calls to come back, ignoring everything but the burning tears in her eyes and the need for vengeance pulsing through her veins. It was a feeling she had only felt when she’d connected with Voldemort before, but now she knew it was not coming from him. This emotion was all her as she slammed into the second lift and off after the witch who’d killed him. The torture curse slipped from her without even thinking about it and the witch screamed and writhed before throwing it off and standing. Harriet barely managed to dodge behind the fountain away from the spell Bellatrix sent her way.

“You must have really cared for my cousin little girl. You have to really mean that curse little girl. Righteous anger will not hurt me for long, you want me to feel real pain.” The woman laughed. But when the Death Eater demanded the prophecy Harriet laughed, it was almost as crazed as Lestrange’s own laugh. 

“You’re gonna have to kill me! It smashed!” She felt a surge of satisfaction. “No one even heard it over the fight!” Rage, this time separate from hers blinded her and she laughed again. “And he knows!” Bellatrix accused her of lying desperately tried to summon the lost prophecy to no avail. 

“She isn’t lying Bella.” Green eyes flew open, staring up into red. 

He was disappointed, somewhere in her mind she realized it. Disappointed in his Death Eaters for their failure. Disappointed in her for not doing everything to ensure she heard the prophecy. Thoughts not her own flickered across her mind, though her anger and grief seemed to keep them from overtaking her. This would be a fitting place to end her, and it was in that moment she knew he was going to kill her. Without even thinking about it she squeezed her eyes shut there was no way for her to block what was coming, he wouldn’t draw it out this time like he had in the graveyard. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Voldemort whirled as his spell glanced off the metal wizard that had until a moment ago been in the fountain behind the girl. Now it was crowding her away from him as two others slipped into the fireplaces and the metal witch trapped Bellatrix. Dumbledore stood there wand raised and at the ready, righteous fury in his eyes sparkling behind half moon spectacles. 

Dumbledore was not aiming to kill, but as Tom Riddle vanished from the swirling water he felt a twinge of regret at that. He did not know what his next move would be. Would he flee? Dumbledore thought not, not with Harriet here, not so close to one of his goals. She moved slightly behind the guarding statue. 

“Stay where you are Harriet!” He knew she heard the tiniest sliver of fear in his voice though he did not think she knew it was for her he feared not himself. But it didn’t seem to matter, the dark shadow sprang from the girls own shadow this time and, in a moment, a pained scream echoed through the room, making Bellatrix laugh loudly. The chorus of sounds was a terrible thing as Dumbledore realized what Voldemort was doing. He was using their connection against Harriet, to possess her in a similar way he had Quirrell years ago. But where Quirrell had been a willing participant Harriet was not as she seized on the floor the force of the magic around her shattering the guarding statue. Her eyes rolled one moment green the next red and snakelike. Then her jaw opened and Voldemort’s voice spilled forth. 

“Kill me now Dumbledore.” He raised his wand. But he hesitated would it work, would the piece of Voldemort be destroyed by any but the hand who had fused it to the girl. The one still sobbing in front of him as she was used by Voldemort. And then the greatest flaw in his plan occurred to him. He couldn’t hurt her, he cared too much. “If death is nothing, kill the girl!” Voldemort’s voice echoed from Harriet’s mouth again then he fell silent allowing Albus to hear her whimpering in pain instead. But one word slipped past her mouth in her own voice. 

“Sirius.” It was a call of regret, of grief and pain at the loss of yet another father. A call of one who had loved him as much as she had loved James, though she’d never known him. In a cry of pain not her own this time the shadow burst free from her spinning to the ground near Bellatrix as blood dripped from the girl’s mouth. Dumbledore was beside her in a moment, a healing incantation already on his tongue. The blood slowed and stopped, her breathing eased. A cold harsh laugh echoed from near Bellatrix, though it sounded ragged, damaged.

“You care so deeply, that’s why you’ve lost.” But even as Voldemort spoke a scream, loud and masculine came from the fireplaces lining the walls. It was followed by many others as Voldemort turned and found Cornelius Fudge staring at him backed by at least half the Auror department. He grabbed Bellatrix before they vanished in a swirl of black cloaks. Silence rang through the hall for a moment. Then the clamor began as Harriet stirred. 

He wished he could have silenced the clamor around her, he would guess her head was pounding, scar or not. She was shivering nearly violently. He swirled his outer cloak off and wrapped the glittering blue fabric around her like a blanket. He would not have Fudge questioning her now. Or ever if he had any say. Sending her straight to his office was the simplest solution. Umbridge, if she even remained in the school, would not be able to get to her there. He was as patient as he could be with Fudge. The man, now forced to see sense was meek, bowing to the requests put forth to him as the Order Members brought Harriet’s friends up from the Department of Mysteries. Only Luna and Neville remained on their feet. Dumbledore made a second portkey, it was the safest way to transport Hermione and Ron right now as they both had more strange and severe injuries than Neville and Ginny. Luna had many a scrape but seemed to have come out of it the best of them. Neville spotted Dumbledore and smiled relieved before looking around. 

“Where’s Harriet?” His voice was thick with his broken nose but Dumbledore smiled. He knew the look in the boy’s eye. He had fallen hard for Harriet. 

“Back at Hogwarts, safe in my office. Lupin, Moody, if you wouldn’t mind taking these children to the hospital wing.” He transformed a piece of the broken wizard statue into a second portkey and watched as they were whisked away. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Malfoy attacking her on the train shouldn’t have been a surprise. He’d been biding his time since after the disaster at the Department of Mysteries. But she couldn’t be prouder of her friends, from the DA as they sprang to her rescue. Neville had even been among their number and helped Ernie McMillon and Justin Finch-Fletchly hoist Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle into the luggage rack of their compartment. Neville smiled at her and accompanied her back to the compartment in case any other Slytherins got any ideas about attacking her. She bought several cauldron cakes and split one with him, insisting she wasn’t too hungry. She must have been telling the truth for she fell asleep not long after, Luna and Ginny were sitting across from them holding hands and discussing the latest Quibbler.

Neville stiffened as her head fell onto his shoulder and Hermione beamed at him. Ron looked him up and down once then nodded slightly. Ginny giggled at something Luna had said. He was disappointed when he had to shake her awake to get off the train. But before she left he pulled her aside. 

“Would you mind if I wrote to you this summer?” She smiled and shook her head. Trevor hopped from his bag to her shoulder and she let out a startled laugh before handing the toad back to him. 

“I wouldn’t mind at all.” He nodded as she headed off with the Weasleys towards a small cluster of wizards and witches he hoped were aurors here for her protection. He jumped as his gran cleared her throat behind him. She looked him over then looked over at Harriet’s retreating form. 

“I suppose we’ll have to get you an owl then.” She said a slight smile to her voice. He grinned wide as he followed her off the platform. He glanced back over his shoulder and saw her loading into a car, looking surprised as her cousin lifted her trunk into the back of the car for her.


	18. Year Six

Dudley Dursley had made up his mind when he got home last summer from an outing with his parents to find Harriet missing. His father had snorted and said ‘Good riddance to bad rubbish.’ And thrown out the note on the kitchen counter unread. Dudley had fished it out of the trash can and read it. She was safe and would be returned next summer as per usual. When they’d met her on the platform she had looked much like she had when she left. Her nose hadn’t healed quite straight from where his father had broken it though. Dudley took her trunk and she looked at him suspiciously until he put it safely in the trunk of the car. When they got home she hefted her trunk one handed, her owl cage in the other, and made it up stairs before he had a chance to talk to her.

Her need to watch the news seemed to have abated but the owls had not. She got several, a silvery grey bird well-groomed and carrying a scroll tied with a blue ribbon and a small package arrived on her first day back. After that one arrived Harriet came to breakfast in a new t-shirt covered in French writing that glimmered in the light. The stern eagle owl was back too, as usual carrying a letter sealed with burgundy wax. The tiny owl she called Pig arrived and left twice within the first week. But there was a new one. A handsome barn owl that accidently tapped on Dudley’s window instead of Harriet’s. It had woken him up, but Harriet had stuck her head out the window and called the owl to her before he could get out of bed. That one had delivered a small package as well, which turned out to be a small radio. At least Dudley suspected that was what it was. He heard it playing, songs he’d never heard before in the dead of night. Softly so that his parents wouldn’t hear. He wasn’t sure how he felt about Celestina Warbeck but Harriet seemed to enjoy it. 

Things fell into a routine after the first few days. She would appear for breakfast, make no conversation and disappear back into her room usually without a word, sometimes making a reappearance for dinner. Dudley wasn’t sure how to approach her. How did one apologize for nearly fifteen years of downright abusive treatment? He wasn’t sure. He got into the habit of making a second sandwich at lunches and slipping it through the flap on her door though he didn’t know if she knew it was him doing it. Then one night two weeks after Harriet had arrived back there was a knock on the door at precisely eleven o’clock. 

He heard her swearing and throwing things around her room before she came rushing out and down the stairs staying well out of his father’s reach this time. She had a telescope in one hand and her wand in the other. She lowered it though when she saw the man in the door. He was tall with long silver hair and a beard to match. He looked much more like a stereotypical wizard than Harriet ever had. He also smiled at her and she beamed right back. This man turned out to be Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Harriet’s school. He had come to get her, but also to talk to the three Dursleys. 

Dudley flinched when he learned that Harriet’s godfather had died. He knew why she hadn’t told them. Before they’d learned of her godfather’s existence his parents had taken all her wizarding things and locked them in her old cupboard under the stairs every summer. The thing that appeared as some kind of proof that Harriet had inherited her godfather’s house was slightly terrifying, the fact that it seemed to have to do what she said no matter what made it no less scary. Harriet hadn’t finished packing. She blushed slightly. 

“Doubtful I would turn up?” The older wizard asked calmly a note of fondness Dudley had never heard directed at Harriet before in his voice. She blushed slightly.

“Wasn’t even entirely sure it was you who sent the letter, could have been a trap.” Dumbledore nodded as she hopped up and snatched up her telescope from the floor. 

“Cautious thinking is wise indeed in these times.” She nodded and took off back up the stairs at a run. Dumbledore delicately sipped his mead ignoring all three Dursleys. It was awkward and Dudley was about to ask the old wizard something when he heard the distinct sound of Harriet’s trunk on the stairs. However Dumbledore did not rise to meet her. He stayed seated and in a moment Harriet rejoined them looking sheepish. 

“I’m all set professor.” Dumbledore nodded smiling at her again. 

“I have a few more things to say Harriet, if you’d sit for just one more moment.” She obeyed without question, which Dudley found a bit unnerving. Harriet had never been what one would call compliant towards his parents, and he really couldn’t blame her. Nor could he blame Dumbledore when he verbally dressed all three of them down for the way they’d treated Harriet over the years. Dudley was stunned to learn that his mother had known some magic kept Harriet safe while she lived here, he’d have thought that would have made her chuck the girl out sooner. But it would only hold until she was seventeen. It occurred to him that he would probably never see his cousin again after next summer. When he realized that he vaulted off the couch, hoping to catch her before they vanished. But as he made it to the door he spotted her at the end of the block taking hold of Dumbledore’s arm. The pair turned on the spot and vanished. He felt the words of apology die on his tongue as they had so often over the last two weeks. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Horace Slughorn liked being friends with the well to do of the wizarding world. The talented, the powerful, the rich and influential. He gathered them all to him, guiding and directing where necessary. Or at least he had once upon a time when he was still potions master at Hogwarts. Dumbledore was trying to get him to come back and damn him if he didn’t know exactly how to do it. The girl sitting in his borrowed sitting room was the spitting image of her father, with the wide fiery eyes of her mother, and the temper to match if the way she reprimanded him about muggleborns was any indication. He really couldn’t help himself, the draw of once again being able to be in contact with all his old students, and collecting a new generation of talented witches and wizards, was just too tempting. 

He couldn’t regret his decision as he sat on the Hogwarts express preparing for the little lunch he’d set up. He’d invited Harriet of course. If he was to restart the Slug Club then the Girl-Who-Lived, the Chosen One, had to be one of the new inaugural members. There would be a few others coming to. The Longbottom boy, talented parents no doubt there and like Harriet the heir to an old wizarding family. Blaise Zabini’s mother was a bit infamous for being something of a Black Widow, amassing a fortune on the way and Slughorn respected that kind of cleverness. Marcus Belby had an uncle with an Order of Merlin under his belt for inventing the Wolfsbane potion. Cormac McLaggen had an uncle with influence as well. And the fiery redhead he met in the hall got off the best Bat Bogey Hex he’d seen in years before she spotted him. She’d hexed one of the Slytherin’s who’d had his own wand drawn on her. A Weasley had never made it into the Slug Club before but this one had such potential. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Altogether Harriet had one of the best summers she’d had in a long time. Rescued from the Dursleys after only two weeks by Dumbledore himself who would be giving her extra lessons this year, then taken to the Burrow her favorite place outside Hogwarts. Seeing Fleur again in person was lovely even if Ginny and Hermione had some kind of prejudice against the girl. Fleur had wanted to say that she was staying with the Weasleys but had been advised against it by her fiancé Bill, Ron’s older brother. Harriet and her chatted in slightly slow French, Fleur slowing her usual rapid fire so Harriet could keep up. She got the chance to thank her for the gifts of the t-shirts Fleur had been sending since the Triwizard Tournament. 

“I could not have one of my friends in those awful hand me downs you wore. Gabrielle will be delighted to know you liked them. She has been helping me chose them! Have you heard from Viktor?” 

Telling Ron and Hermione about the prophecy was hard, she didn’t want them to worry about her more than they already did. And learning that she must become either murderer or victim well it had unnerved her she was worried how it would affect her friends. She shouldn’t have been. Ron and Hermione as always were pillars of support for her. Heading for Diagon Alley she was displeased to run into Draco Malfoy at Madame Malkin’s. But by far her favorite part of that trip was Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes. After following Malfoy to Borgin and Burkes under the invisibility cloak they rejoined the group and Fred and George insisted on loading Harriet down with anything she found mildly useful. She ended up with quite a few decoy detonators, a small bag of the Peruvian darkness powder, two packs of Extendable Ears and something they were just rolling out onto shelves for their Wonder Witch collection. George slipped the small ring onto her pointer finger. 

“Now this is a new product, not technically on shelves yet but we think you might find it useful. ‘Specially since the Prophet’s got you marked as this ‘Chosen One’ now, load of tosh if you ask me. But we figured since we sell love potions we should sell a way to detect them too.” Fred turned her hand over and pointed to a design engraved into the silver of the band. The design itself had no color, it was just swirls of silver on silver. 

“Just pass your hand over the cup or food, if it changes color don’t eat or drink it, it’ll have been dosed.” George nodded at his twins words. 

“If it’s a love potion the design will turn pink, that’s all the ones we’re putting on the shelf just yet do. But we managed to rig this one to detect poisons too, just in case. It’s a bit trickier but with you, can’t be too careful these days. If it’s poisoned the design will turn black.” Fred nodded solemnly.

“The more deadly the poison, or stronger the love potion, the longer it’ll stay that color.” Harriet hugged them both. 

“Thanks. This is a really clever bit of magic!” They grinned. Things didn’t go quite so well on the Hogwarts Express. She changed early, glad to be out of her muggle clothes into her much more comfortable robes. The lunch with Slughorn was a bit informative, Dumbledore was right he was trying to collect students already. Neville was doing well, glad she’d liked the radio he’d sent her but her attempt to spy on Malfoy did not go well, ending with her under the full body bind hex with a shattered nose hidden under her own invisibility cloak on the floor of the compartment. If it wasn’t for Tonks she might have been halfway back to London before anyone realized what was wrong. The auror was kind enough to put her nose right as she escorted her up to school. Snape was as prickly as ever and would not let her slip into the Great Hall under the invisibility cloak or even inform her that she was covered in blood before she sat down with Ron and Hermione. It was going to be another interesting year.


	19. Year Six (2)

Neville was sure that the only reason he was still in defense against the dark arts was because of Harriet. He would never have gotten Exceeds Expectations on his OWLS in that subject without the DA. In fact a lot of their DA friends were there in Snapes class. So many it surprised even the ex potions master. Neville grinned to himself at the thought of the hook nosed professor’s face when Harriet had said, ‘There’s not need to call me ‘sir’ professor.’ He would be remembering that for the next time he cast a Patronus. The cheeky tone of her voice, the glimmer of mischief in her eye. He jumped as someone sat down across from him. It was the girl herself. 

“I’m not here!” She said and pulled her silvery invisibility cloak out of a hidden pocket on her school robes and vanished beneath it. He blinked slightly but apparently she had vanished just in time. Cormac McLaggen appeared around the shelf. He frowned as he approached. 

“It’s Longbottom right?” Neville nodded glancing up at the seventh year. McLaggen frowned. “You haven’t seen Potter have you, thought I saw her come in here.” Neville shrugged. 

“Haven’t see her since defense class sorry.” McLaggen frowned and leaned on the table next to Neville’s book. 

“You’re in her year right?” Neville nodded, well aware that Harriet probably hadn’t left the seat across from him. “You know if she’s seeing anyone? I know she and Diggory had a thing before he died, but I haven’t heard anything since.” Neville shrugged. 

“No idea.” McLaggen clicked his tongue in disappointment. 

“Shame, I’d like to see what she keeps under those robes if you know what I mean.” He laughed as Neville felt his stomach turn in disgust. “Think I could get her to make me Keeper over Weasley if I cornered her for a snog?” Neville must have looked as disgusted as he felt. McLaggen shrugged though. “I mean who doesn’t want to say they’ve been with the chosen one?” Neville made no move to reply and McLaggen shrugged again. “Let her know I’m looking for her if you see her will you?” Neville nodded slightly. 

“Sure.” McLaggen was already walking away as Neville muttered under his breath. “I’ll be sure not to.” Harriet’s laugh from across the table preceded her removing the cloak and tucking it back away inside her school robes. 

“Thanks for that Nev.” He nodded grinning. 

“McLaggen been giving you a rough time?” She shrugged. 

“Well he hasn’t said half of that to my face so…” She trailed off. “What are you reading?” She asked leaving her seat to come stand next to him. For a moment he couldn’t focus. She smelled like roses, and fresh summer air, a hint of something spicy wafting from her hair, for once not up in its usual braid. 

“Herbology book.” He said remembering what words were. “Professor Sprout leant it to me. I’ve been thinking.” She raised an eyebrow at him as he paused again, slipping into the seat next to him. “Well my Gran wanted me to be an Auror like my dad, but without an NEWT in transfiguration that’s off the table. And I never wanted it anyway.”

“What do you want to do? You can’t live your life for the expectations of someone else, trust me. I’ve been trying to live up to what everyone wants from me ever since I found out about magic. It’s exhausting.” Neville smiled slightly. 

“I want to open a green house, take care of plants, maybe do some potion ingredient sales.” Her smile was dazzling. “What about you, what would you do if you have the choice?” At the mention of choice her expression flickered slightly, the same way it always did when anyone brought up the prophecy she was supposedly a part of around her. He frowned. There was something she wasn’t telling him. 

“Actually I want to be an Auror. It just makes sense.” Neville nodded though he was frowning slightly. 

“I guess so. You’d make a killer Quidditch player though.” She laughed. He thought. “Or a teacher, you were a fantastic teacher last year.” She laughed a bit harder. “Best defense professor I’ve ever had hands down.” It was good to hear her laugh. 

“Thanks Nev.” 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Losing Eloise Midgen was a blow to the sixth year Gryffindor girls. It was odd coming back to a dormitory with one less bed than usual. Parvati’s parents were talking about withdrawing her as well, along with her sister. She and Lavender had been crying about it the other week. Hannah Abbot’s mother had been found dead a few days ago. Hannah had vanished from classes and didn’t seem likely to return. It was becoming clearer to them everyday that they were on the sidelines of a very active war. The thought made Harriet’s skin crawl. She hated sitting on the sidelines. 

What made things worse was that she couldn’t get the idea that Draco Malfoy had turned Death Eater out of her head. Nor could she get anyone to listen to her about it. She perused the Prince’s copy of Advanced Potion Making more often now, if only to drown out Hermione and Ron. She’d been watching those two dance around each other for two years now and at this point wished they would just snog and get it over with. As long as it didn’t kick up another fight between the two. But between Quidditch practice, detention with Snape and her private lessons with Dumbledore Harriet didn’t have much time to worry about anything. That was until Katie Bell was attacked. The necklace was one she remembered from Borgin and Burkes, it had killed thirteen muggles who had previously owned it at least that was what the plaque had said last time she’d seen it. Katie was rushed off to St. Mungos and Harriet had to call up a reserve chaser while wondering exactly how Malfoy had pulled it off. There was no doubt in her mind that it was Malfoy. 

Ron seemed convinced that Harriet had been the intended target. Hermione argued that if she was Katie could have just turned around and handed it to her, they’d been behind her and her friend when the package tore. Dumbledore too dismissed her suspicions against Malfoy as they continued their journey learning about Lord Voldemort’s past. It made Harriet more frustrated than she could voice to have her suspicions set aside but she dutifully kept her mouth shut. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Albus knew it had been stupid to put on that ring. But finding the stone after so long looking, he hadn’t been able to resist the Hallow he’d most wished for. Now he was dying. He had a year, maybe less to teach Harriet everything, to set his affairs in order so that when the time came she knew what she would have to do. It was tricky, getting everything just the way he needed it. Severus would play his part, if only for Lily’s sake. He should be glad Harriet had inherited her mother’s eyes. If she’d looked much more like James it would have been harder to get Severus to do what must be done for her. 

Draco Malfoy might prove a problem. His incessant attempts to kill Dumbledore were doing more harm to the students than to Dumbledore himself. Now Harriet’s friend Ronald had fallen at his hands too, would have died if not for Harriet’s quick thinking with a Bezor. She did have someone else to fall back on for comfort though. Albus had smiled at how close Neville and Harriet were getting. She’d taken him to Slughorn’s Christmas party and they seemed to be dancing around actually asking each other out properly. It was good that she was moving on from Cedric. As tragic as his death had been she was too young to spend her life mourning, a life he knew would be cut criminally short in the end. Neville was good for her, there was a certain irony there. The prophecy had referred to a child, never mentioning gender and Voldemort had chosen Harriet but it could easily have been Neville chosen instead. He couldn’t help but wonder if that was part of the reason Harriet hadn’t asked him on a proper date yet. 

He heard about the Minister practically ambushing her over Christmas at the Burrow secondhand from Arthur and was quite displeased. But he was proud of Harriet for not letting herself get used as a political tool though she would make herself no friends for it. Her insistence that she was not the Ministry’s tool lightened his heart. Her loyalty to him almost hurt, he knew she would find out the truth after he was gone. That she would have to die. He hoped she would forgive him for it, but there was no other way if the war was to be won then she would have to die. But still he could not tell her to her face, even after she learned of the existence, if not the definition, of a Horcrux from Slughorn’s twisted memory. She was clever, and surrounded herself with those cleverer than her. Would they figure it out? Her and her friends, he didn’t know. All he could do was clear her way as much as possible over the next year, and hope for the best when he was gone.


	20. Year Six (3)

If Harriet had better manners Ron would probably be dead, and her and Slughorn along with him. But she’d picked the cup up by the top instead of by the stem like a human raised in any kind of normal society, and not a cupboard. She noticed the design on the ring Fred and George had given her go from the pink it had turned over the cauldron cakes that Ron had indulged in to a deep murky black. The cup slipped from her fingers, shattering on the floor but she was already moving as Ron began to choke and cough, having downed his drink before either of the other two. Slughorn was in shock but his glass remained untouched as well as Harriet yanked open his potion kit and pulled out the shriveled red stone that had gained her the first points to Gryffindor in living history for being cheeky. She was back across the room in a split second, yanking Ron’s head back and shoving the stone down his throat. His breathing eased and the jerking stopped as Slughorn seemed to catch on to what had just happed. He cast two Patronuses and they raced off. Moments later McGonagall and Madame Pomphrey were running into the room but Harriet hardly noticed them. She was still holding Ron, the only thing reassuring her that he was alive the slow rise and fall of his chest. 

It took quite a bit for McGonagall to coax her off Ron. Reassurances that he would be fine, that she would not be leaving his side as they were both escorted to the hospital wing, Ron on a conjured stretcher and Harriet gently guided by McGonagall. When they got there, followed by a pale shaking Slughorn, McGonagall put her in a chair next to Ron’s bed. She was still shaking, she could barely breathe. McGonagall knelt in front of her. 

“I need you to tell me how you knew the mead was poisoned Harriet.” Her voice was calm and soothing, but it barely reached Harriet. There was a rushing in her ears as she struggled to reply, like the kind she heard when dementors were around before the screaming started. She held up her hand and pointed at the ring. McGonagall frowned and Harriet found her voice. 

“Fred and George gave it to me. It detects love potions and poisons.” She lost her voice again to a dry sob and Madame Pomphrey quickly replaced McGonagall. She was holding a vial in her hand and speaking, though not to Harriet. Which was just as well, it sounded to Harriet like she was talking from the end of a tunnel anyway. 

“She’s having a panic attack Minerva, and everything she’s been through I don’t blame her one bit.” She turned to Harriet. She was still talking but Harriet couldn’t really hear her, the rushing was growing louder, why was no one doing anything about the dementor. But before she could find her voice again her head was gently tilted back and something trickled down her throat. Suddenly everything was heavy, soft and her eyes closed before she could fight it. She drifted off into blackness, feeling herself floating off onto something soft. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Fred and George had sent an owl ahead to McGonagall, just to check that they were still allowed to visit Hogsmeade, see Ron on his birthday as a surprise. They were glad they did as not Ron but Hagrid met them outside Zonko’s. 

“You two best come with me. McGonagall sent me.” They both frowned. Hagrid looked around as if seeing if anyone was listening in. He dropped his voice low. “It’s Ron, he’s been poisoned.” The run up to the castle, though a familiar one was a blur. Hagrid’s lack of information wasn’t all that helpful, he only knew what he’d been told, that Ron was in the hospital wing. But when they arrived they found that he was not alone. Harriet was on the bed next to his, looking just as dead to the world as Ron though not as pale for once. Both were breathing and that made Fred and George let out a breath as well as McGonagall approached them explaining what had happened to Ron and Harriet once again saving the life of a Weasley. Fred sat down on the end of his brother’s bed. George stepped over to Harriet, she was still wearing the ring, and the design still burned black. 

“Had to have been powerful stuff.” McGonagall raised an eyebrow at him. He pointed at the ring. “It’s supposed to go back to being silver. The stronger the poison is the longer it stays black. What happened to Harriet? Why’s she out if she didn’t…” He trained off realizing that McGonagall had never said she hadn’t been poisoned too, just that she’d saved Ron. 

“She had a severe panic attack, Madame Pomphrey thought it best she sleep it off.” At that moment Molly Weasley burst into the room followed closely by Arthur and Ginny. When Harriet eventually woke up it was to a crowd of grateful Weasley’s and Hermione who was sitting by Ron’s bed looking shell shocked. Harriet managed to recount what had happened and was reassured that her quick thinking had saved Ron’s life. He would be alright, though he would have to stay in the hospital wing for a while yet. Him muttering Hermione’s name in his sleep made Harriet snort out a laugh that sort of sounded like a sob. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Dumbledore wished Harriet hadn’t fought with Draco Malfoy. The boy was being threatened at home, for his multiple failures in attempting to assassinate Dumbledore. Now he would carry the scars from her curse for life too. She had retrieved the memory from Slughorn though and was a step closer to learning her own true nature, that Voldemort had indeed gained a Gryffindor Horcrux though he didn’t know it. There was a certain irony to her family line though. Dumbledore had done quite a bit of digging into the Potter family tree during the eleven years he’d waited for Harriet to show up at Hogwarts. It really shouldn’t have surprised him, the Potters were an old Wizarding name, though like the Weasleys they had attained something of a blood traitor status marrying outside of pureblood families well before James and Lily. But their family tree traced back to the Peverell’s just as the Gaunts did. And beyond that back to Salazar Slytherin himself. 

He could appreciate the irony that the rumor circulated about Harriet in her second year was technically true. She was an heir of Slytherin, and it made him wonder if her ability to speak Parsletongue was from the Horcrux that lived inside her or not. The family line would have had a recessive trait for the born power to speak to snakes after all. He had yet to bring this up to her. He had no idea how she might react when she learned that she was, however distantly, related to the man who had killed her parents. He was unsure why she had never delved into her family tree, it wasn’t exactly well guarded information, if she looked it up in a few books in the library she would quickly discover the truth. But he mused that perhaps she had other things on her mind at the moment. 

Even though she had been removed from the Quidditch team for dueling they managed to scrape yet another win this year and at the party afterwards tensions between Harriet and Neville finally snapped with what McGonagall described as a very energetic snogging session. Only surpassed by the one she stumbled on between Luna Lovegood and Ginny Weasley. Since then the two were rarely out of each others company and usually Harriet had some kind of fresh blossom in her hair from Professor Sprout’s private greenhouse that few students had access to. Pomona confided in Dumbledore that Neville had been cross breeding flowers in an attempt to get a red and gold blossom for Harriet for some time now. He was glad she could experience this sweet young love, his time was running short after all and she would need someone to lean on when he was gone, aside from Ron and Hermione.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Neville could not believe his own luck. The party had been in full swing when Harriet arrived from her detention. She had joined in the cheering quickly when it became clear to her that they had won the cup. But the crowd was boisterous, and she had tripped right into his arms. They had stared at each other for a moment, something flashing in the deep green of her eyes before she seized him by the tie, proclaimed ‘Bugger this!’ and kissed him full on the mouth to raucous applause. 

His Gran had never been prouder of him. He had never been the center of more attention but as Harriet leaned against him in the common room he couldn’t care less what people said about him. He was happy as he had ever been. Though the question as to if she had a hippogriff tattooed across her lower back had thrown him a bit. He had shaken his head and before he even knew what he was saying claimed it was a basilisk, much more dangerous and devil may care after all. She hadn’t minded, in fact she’d laughed her head off about it as they curled up together to finish one of Snape’s essay’s one evening. 

But one evening she grabbed him, Ron and Hermione and tugged them into an empty corridor. She handed Hermione a small vial nearly full of golden liquid and the map she’d been practically glued to for ages. 

“Listen, this isn’t going to make a whole lot of sense to you Neville, but I don’t have time to explain. Whatever Malfoy’s been up to in the Room of Requirement he’s managed it. And he’s going to make his move tonight.” Ron and Hermione nodded, Neville felt a bit lost but nodded. “I need you three safe. Take the Felicis and promise me you’ll be safe.” Neville had grabbed her hand as she made to leave. 

“What about you, if Malfoy’s planning something you’ll be a target too.” Harriet smiled and pecked him on the cheek. 

“I won’t need luck tonight I’ll be with Dumbledore.” She pulled him into a kiss and before he could catch his breath had vanished under the invisibility cloak. If it hadn’t been for the lucky potion, which they also managed to share with Luna and Ginny, Neville was certain they would have died at the hands of the Death Eaters that infiltrated Hogwarts that night. He couldn’t help but be glad that Harriet seemed to be nowhere around as the DA and the Order of the Phoenix once again joined forces against Bellatrix, Malfoy and several others who Neville did not know the names of. That was until she came tearing down from the astronomy tower after Snape and Malfoy. He caught a glimpse of the look in her eyes as she raced past, shooting a few jinxes over her shoulder at the Death Eaters battling the DA members. It was the same look she’d had last year in the ministry. Tears fighting rage and vengeance as she sprinted after Snape, the air around her practically boiling with her need for vengeance. Something had happened at the top of that tower, and he wasn’t sure he wanted know what it was but his every instinct had him chasing her, ready to give aid where it was needed. 

He caught up in time to hear Bellatrix shouting at Snape. 

“Her life belongs to the Dark Lord, Snape! You know this, do not get greedy!” The scene was backlit by Hagrid’s burning hut and Neville could see a body on the ground. He reached them as Hagrid and Harriet put out his burning hut. He heard them as she spoke, her voice broken from pain and exhaustion and sorrow. 

“Snape killed Dumbledore.” Neville didn’t want it to be true. But Harriet would never lie about something like this. And Dumbledore had not come down from the astronomy tower. As they made their way back to the school they saw a small crowd gathering at the base of the tower. Harriet slipped through them like a ghost. When he managed to reach the front of the crowd she was knelt next to the broken body of Albus Dumbledore. He looked almost peaceful, if it weren’t for the angle of his limbs. The crowd was silent. Hagrid tried to get Harriet to move first so the arriving Aurors could deal with Dumbledore’s body but she would not move. So Neville slipped out of the crowd and carefully guided her to her feet. He barely noticed the locket and note crumpled together in her hand as he guided her away from the broken body of her mentor. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Harriet wished she could turn off her emotions, wished she could choose not to feel. But it was something she had never been capable of. She gripped the locket tight in her hand. All of that, the Inferi nearly dragging her into that dark lake, Dumbledore, weak as a newborn in her arms begging her to stop, all of it for nothing. She was leaning heavily against Neville as he guided her up to the hospital wing. It occurred to her, somewhere that she had been right all year, that Dumbledore had known that Malfoy was trying to kill him. Kill him, that was when it occurred to her she stopped dead in her tracks, and Neville stopped with her. 

“Who else is dead?” She demanded it in a voice that rang through the empty halls. Neville shook his head. 

“We got lucky, literally. None of ours, Bill Weasley got attacked by the werewolf they had with them but he’s alive. One of the Death Eaters is dead, got hit by one of his buddy’s killing curses. Ginny and Flitwick are hurt but they should be fine.” Going over what had happened on that tower for McGonagall was hard, her words kept sticking in her throat. The fact that Dumbledore was gone kept racing across her mind. The fact that it was Snape who had killed him, that she and Ron had always been right about the hook nosed greasy haired professor it hurt. 

She ended up curled against Neville to numb for tears as Lupin and Tonks made up and Mrs. Weasley and Fleur cried together. She didn’t resist when McGonagall lead her away, the sound of Fawke’s lament still echoing through the castle. 

The funeral was a large affair. Delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang arrived to say farewells along with what seemed to be half the ministry and most of the school. Viktor Krum embraced Harriet, knowing she had been close to Dumbledore. The three living Triwizard Champions, reunited again by death, took a moment, though they said nothing. The white tomb gleamed in the sunlight. It was an unfairly beautiful day. 

Neville found her on the shores of the lake and didn’t try to take her hand for once, she was grateful it made it easier, what she knew she had to do. 

“We can’t keep doing this Neville.” He smiled weakly. “I can’t be involved with you anymore.” He had to clear his throat before he spoke. 

“You’re doing this for some noble reason aren’t you. If you weren’t you wouldn’t be the girl I fell in love with.” It hurt, neither of them had worked up to the L word until then. 

“It’s been like having a normal life, like getting to be someone else, these past few months with you. But I’m not someone else. And there’s something I have to do.” Her voice stopped working. 

“Orders from Dumbledore, right.” He scrubbed his face. “I know you cared about him. I know he cared about you. But did it ever occur to you that you can have a life outside of what he wanted from you.” She couldn’t look at him. 

“It’s not just that. If he finds out, he’ll use you against me and I can’t lose anyone else. I won’t survive it Nev.” They both knew who she was talking about but neither said the name. There were tears in her eyes echoed in his. 

“And if I lose you I don’t think I’ll survive it.” She gave him a watery smile. 

“You would, you’re so much stronger than you give yourself credit for Nev. It’s why I fell in love with you.” Her words were nearly silent. He left her there by the side of the lake. Rufus Scrimgeour approached her again, trying to convince her to tell the public the Ministry was doing a good job but she refused point blank, throwing his own words back at him. She was Dumbledore’s girl, through and through, no matter what. The only solace she found was in Ron and Hermione, planning how to go about hunting Horcruxes with her. It was strangely comforting know they wouldn’t abandon her even on the threat of death that now hung over them all. She looked over Hogwarts one last time as the students filed out to the Hogwarts Express. She had no idea if she would ever see it again and as the first place she’d ever found a home in it wasn’t easy to leave. 

But she turned her back on the entrance hall and followed Ron and Hermione out of the front doors, past what remained of Hagrid’s hut, a gutted burned ruin, and into the carriages. As they pulled away she thought she spotted a crimson streak across the sky, the same color as Fawkes the now missing phoenix. But it was gone when she blinked. She turned away, she had a mission to complete.


	21. Year Seven

Petunia Dursley noticed the difference in her niece the moment she spotted her on the platform. There was a gleam of determination in her eyes so like her mother’s. Petunia had never told her anything about Lily. She had never acknowledged Lily around the girl but now the very air seemed to have changed. It was the same kind of look that Petunia had seen on her sister’s face the last time they had seen each other. 

Lily had finished Hogwarts and was packing to leave home for good. Her parents couldn’t convince her out of it, James was waiting for her in the living room. It was the only time Petunia had seen James. Lily had long ago given up trying to make her sister understand. But as she slammed the suitcase shut she took Petunia’s hand. 

“No matter what you’ll always be my big sister Tuney. I love you.” With that she had left, disappearing at the end of the lane into the night with the Potter boy. Off to fight a war for someone else. A child soldier, doomed to die. The same look gleaming out of eyes so like her mothers was unnerving Petunia. Maybe that’s why she didn’t speak to Harriet that month as the girl systematically cleaned out her school trunk, packing only basics in a rucksack Dudley had once used for school. As her seventeenth birthday neared she grew more reserved, coming out less and less for meals. Dudley had taken to making sure Harriet got something to eat, slipping it under the flap Vernon had installed all those years ago. She wasn’t sure the girl knew who was doing it though and Dudley studiously ignored the dirty looks his father sent him for doing it. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Dudley would admit he was a bit frightened. About a week ago Harriet had come down to dinner, an unusual act in and of itself these days, and welcomed two men into the house. Kingsley Shacklebolt and Arthur Weasley had told them that the Order of the Phoenix was offering them protection against the Death Eaters, and the Dark Lord. His father had changed his mind about a dozen times about accepting or not but if Harriet thought it was a good idea Dudley was going. He’d seen what she was capable of, at a much younger age and with less training than these Death Eaters had. It scared him but what scared him more was that she wasn’t coming with them. He only learned this as they prepared to leave. 

“But where is she going to go?” He knew he’d been terrible to his cousin, all these years but if they had to go into hiding surely she was in even more danger. The wizard who was escorting them looked nonplussed that they didn’t know where Harriet was going. She sighed. 

“Safer for everyone if you don’t know.” 

“Yeah, she’s off with some of your lot.” His father had sneered. Dudley had never seen a witch grow so angry at his father’s words before. He couldn’t help but wonder exactly what his cousin meant to the wizarding community. She’d never said. He’d never asked. 

“No, they think I’m a waste of space actually. But I’m used to it.” He couldn’t leave it like that. He had changed his mind about her when she saved his life. He had been trying to work up the nerve to apologize since it had happened and this looked to be his last chance. 

“I don’t think you’re a waste of space.” The silence rang through the room, every face looked shocked. He grappled with words he’d been trying to find for almost two years. “You saved my life.” She seemed to understand him though as they shook hands, smiling at each other for what felt like the first time. He glanced back at the door as Hestia Jones got into the front seat. He couldn’t help but wonder if he would ever see her again as she disappeared one last time into the house that had for her been like a prison for so long. He leaned forward in his seat and did something that was taboo in the Dursley house. He asked a question. 

“What is she to the wizards, she never said.” His father glared but Dudley didn’t care. Hestia Jones smiled at him as Dedalus Diggle began the story. His father started the car and drove away as the wizard spoke. 

“It all started nearly sixteen years ago on Halloween night.” 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The firewhiskey burned on the way down. Lupin was still shaking slightly as he held onto Tonks. Mad-eye was dead. Harriet stood by the mantlepiece, swirling the whiskey around her own glass. He could practically see the thoughts in her head, the guilt of another death on her shoulders. But she would not allow herself to be comforted. She was so like James. 

“I don’t think anyone in this room would sell me to Voldemort.” Trusting like her father had been. And that had wound him up dead. Remus couldn’t help but think about it as Mrs. Weasley bustled around trying to comfort everyone. He knew there was something else happening with her. She had not brough her trunk. That had been her idea too. Mentioned offhandedly to Kingsley when he and Arthur had visited to get her muggle family squared away. Some part of Lupin hadn’t wanted the Order to offer the Dursleys protection. Not after everything they had done to her. But he also wasn’t sure she wouldn’t go after them if they were taken. She was too noble for her own good, something she’d gotten a double dose of from both Lily and James. He missed Sirius. Sirius had always been better with people, better with feelings. He could have comforted her, but Remus was at a loss. He didn’t know what to say to make it alright. He didn’t know that there was a way to make it better. He was glad to have something to do, even if it was recovering the dead body of a friend. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Molly thought it was a good idea inviting Neville to Harriet’s birthday party. She was not a fool. She’d seen the three teens speaking in secret after Dumbledore’s funeral. She was sure that the moment Harriet turned seventeen she would vanish, off on some wild errand the old Headmaster had left for her. Hermione and Ron would go with her, of that there was no doubt in her mind and it felt as if three of her own children were being ripped away from her, instead of just one. Maybe the boy Harriet loved would be of some help. But he wasn’t much, though Rufus Scrimgeour showing up before cake didn’t help. Dumbledore had apparently included Harriet, Ron and Hermione in his will. Leaving Hermione a book of fairy tales, Ron a device likely invented by Dumbledore himself, and Harriet the snitch from her first ever Quidditch match. Along with the sword of Gryffindor though the ministry refused to give that piece of the will to her. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Neville pulled Harriet aside after the cake was finished and pressed a small package into her hand. 

“Open it.” She did as she was bid. It was a small pendant, it looked like a crystal teardrop with a miniature flower trapped inside. A gladiolus. She looked up at him. “I wanted to give you something that means something. Something small I knew you could take with you. I know you probably don’t care about plants a lot but a gladiolus…” He paused. “Well it symbolizes a lot of things but strength and faithfulness are the first to come to mind.” She shook her head. 

“Neville I can’t ask you to wait for me.” He held up a finger. He’d sprouted like a weed over the past few years and now looked down at her, he was almost six feet tall to her five foot three.

“And I’m not asking you to wait for me. But know that if you ever need me, I will be there in a heartbeat. All you have to do is ask.” She had nodded and disappeared into the Burrow as he made his way to the disapperation point. He hadn’t told her everything a gladiolus meant. He hadn’t told her that it was a flower he’d associated with her for years. The general meaning of the flower was the piercing of a heart, infatuation. But it also stood for strength of character, faithfulness, and moral integrity. He couldn’t think of a flower that better personified Harriet Potter. He turned on the spot, disappearing, he had only been seventeen for a day, but passed his apperation test with her shortly after Dumbledore’s funeral. He couldn’t help but wonder where she would go as he made his way into his Gran’s manor and flopped down onto his bed. He stared at the plant on his bedside table. The same gladiolus he’d taken a bloom from for Harriet’s necklace. He turned over in his bed and stared at the ceiling. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The wedding had been lovely, if only it hadn’t ended in such disaster. The ministry had fallen, Scrimgeour was dead and Harriet, Ron and Hermione had set out into the wider world in search of the pieces of Voldemort’s soul. They set up headquarters in number twelve Grimmauld Place for now, and it was a good thing they did or they might never have found R.A.B, the one who’d taken the real Horcrux, so quickly. Sirius’s little brother Regulus Arcturus Black had taken it, Kreacher had saved it from Molly Weasley’s cleaning spree and Mundungus Fletcher had taken it from the house elf and sold it to Umbridge. It now became a matter of how to break into the ministry and steal the locket back. 

It took a lot of planning and of course it didn’t go quite the way they wanted. But the loss of number twelve was a deep blow. It had been a safe place to plan, with a much happier house elf since Harriet had given him Regulus’s locket. They had also met Remus again there, though they doubted he’d be back since he and Harriet fought. Hermione understood where Ron did not, Harriet couldn’t stand the idea that someone would willingly leave their unborn child when they had a choice. A choice her parents had not had. They ended up bouncing around forests and fields for a while, while tensions among them rose. Harriet was speaking Parsletongue in her sleep again every time she slept with the locket on. 

It wasn’t long before the tensions shattered completely and Ron left. The two girls did their best to pull together without him. Think of places that Dumbledore might have hidden the sword. But in the end they decided that Godric’s Hollow was the place they needed to go next. If only they’d known what a disaster that would be.


	22. Year Seven (2)

Hermione was nervous, Bathilda Bagshot was not acting like a regular person. There was a hissing from her kitchen while she was in there but it didn’t seem to unnerve Harriet who slipped upstairs with the woman. Hermione slipped the copy of Dumbledore’s biography into her bag when she heard Harriet cry out. The fight with Nagini was a blur, she doubted Harriet would ever remember it in it’s entirety. She was completely out of it, at first Hermione feared the serpent had bitten her. But she could find no injury. At least not until she peeled back Harriet’s sweat soaked sweater and smelled burning skin. The Horcrux was white hot on her chest just under her throat. Hermione couldn’t even touch it, having to cast a severing charm to get it away from her now bubbling skin. She couldn’t understand a word of what slipped past her friend’s fevered lips. It was in the hissing language that Hermione had been disappointed to learn was not one that could be learned. 

Harriet remained in this state for nearly two hours before her fever spiked and broke finally. Hermione was relieved but unfortunately had to deliver the message that Harriet’s wand had been broken in the fight. It had been her misfired blasting curse that had done it. They ended up sharing Hermione’s wand. Learning of Dumbledore’s early association with Grindelwald was near devastating. That Dumbledore had never trusted her with any of this made her wonder what else she had never been told. It was a while yet before they reached the Forest of Dean. Harriet was on watch alone when the doe appeared. She should have been worried but the silvery doe was so familiar to her she couldn’t help but follow. 

Finding the sword of Gryffindor in the ice there where the doe vanished was unexpected. She shattered the ice with Hermione’s wand and took off her clothes. This would have to be a brave act, and at the moment she couldn’t think of a more brave move than diving into the frozen lake in her underwear. But she forgot about the horcrux around her neck. It was as though hands closed around her throat, an unfortunately familiar feeling to her. For an instant it was as though she could see Tom Riddle, as he had been during his days at Borgin and Burkes when he’d taken the locket from Hepzibah Smith. He still had the good looks of his Hogwarts days but the eyes were burning red as she tried to gasp for air and got water instead, the chain of the locket tightened around her throat like hands. She thrashed as her world grew darker. As it went out entirely she thought she saw something red dive into the water in front of her. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ron wasn’t sure how he found them. He didn’t really know how the deluminator worked, the light told him were to go but so far he hadn’t found them. Or at least he hadn’t seen them. He wouldn’t between the spells Hermione put up around the camp. It was sheer luck he spotted the doe at all. But behind it was Harriet, she looked a bit thinner, her hair more wild but it was definitely her. He breathed out a sigh of relief as she skidded across the ice. He paused as she shattered the ice and began to strip. He looked away. That was his best friend, although he had seen her mostly naked when they’d turned into her to get her away from the Dursleys. He heard a splash and turned back to the lake. A moment passed, water lapped at the ice. Another moment. She wasn’t resurfacing. 

“Shit!” He dropped his bag next to her clothes and dove into the water. It was freezing but Harriet’s eyes were closed, the locket tight around her throat, hair flying around her in the water like a cloak. Ron seized her around the waist and pulled hard managing to surface with her and toss her out onto the ice only because she was light to begin with. He took a breath and dove again snatching up the sword from the pool and pulling himself out of the water. Harriet didn’t appear to be breathing the locket so tight around her throat that it was drawing small beads of blood from her neck. He snatched the pendant away from her skin and slipped the blade of the sword under the chain severing it in an instant. With the chain broken Harriet gasped, water rushing out of her mouth as she turned onto her side and expelled what seemed like half the pool. Her eyes flickered open but she didn’t seem quite capable of speech yet. 

“Are you completely mental!” She shot upright when he spoke shivering like a leaf. In an instant she was pulling her clothes back on. 

“It was you?” Her voice quavered as she held herself wand in one hand pointed away from him. 

“Why wouldn’t you take this damn thing off before you went in the bloody pool!” She shuddered but there was a smile on her face as she looked at him. 

“Forgot about it. You cast the doe?” Ron frowned. 

“I thought that was you?” She shook her head, her whole body shivering harder. 

“My Patronus is a stag.” Ron nodded. 

“Thought it looked a bit different, no antlers.” Harriet laughed, Ron had to admit it was good to hear. But her idea that he should be the one to destroy the Horcrux, that made him nervous. He wasn’t sure he could do it even as she opened the locket. The vision of Harriet and Hermione from the locket was disturbing, both spitting insults at Ron, that he was useless. That Molly preferred having Harriet as a daughter to having Ron as another son. That Hermione was better off without him. Harriet was terrified for a moment that Ron was going to strike her down with the sword as he swung it but instead there was a shriek as if from the locket itself as Ron drove the blade home into the pendant. He collapsed racked with sobs and Harriet hesitated before wrapping her arms around him. They were both shivering and soaked when they got back to the tent. 

Hermione didn’t kill them, which was good but she definitely hadn’t forgiven Ron. He’d ended up with a spare wand and Harriet struggled to make the blacktorn work for her, still mourning the loss of her phoenix wand. She couldn’t bring herself to throw out the pieces. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Meeting with Xenophilius Lovegood hadn’t been the best idea. The thought of the Hallows was an interesting one, and Harriet couldn’t help entertaining the idea of what being Master of Death would even mean but nearly getting caught again was exhausting. Potterwatch, the news program secretly run by Lee Jordan, was a blessing and had laughter filling the tent for the first time since they’d set out on the run. But one single simple slip on Harriet’s part and they were being dragged away to Malfoy Manor. If Hermione wasn’t as quick as she was they’d have been caught outright. If she hadn’t cast the stinging hex in Harriet’s face they would have been completely screwed. But it might not matter anyway, apparently Draco was home for the Easter Holiday, they were doomed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Draco was surprised to be dragged from his bed at around three in the morning. He had come home not too long ago and would be leaving to return to Hogwarts tomorrow afternoon. He hadn’t really wanted to come home, but his mother insisted. He was pleased that the Dark Lord wasn’t there, relieved really but that seemed to be about to change. He wrapped himself in a robe as he was escorted to the living room. There was a group of Snatchers there, led by Greyback who seemed very interested in the brunette of the group. But Draco was led to the raven haired girl. Her face was swollen but the eyes beyond the chipped glasses were the emerald green that had so often stared at him across the Quidditch Pitch and the great hall. Trading insults over a potions table, it was her but he couldn’t, he couldn’t bring himself to say it. He knew if she was revealed to be Harriet, she would be killed. And somehow he found he didn’t want that.

He didn’t want to be listening to his aunt torture Hermione, let alone watching but he hadn’t been allowed to leave. He was glad they sent Wormtail to investigate the now silent basement. He was not at all glad to be disarmed by Potter though, her face having shrunk back to normal. They would never have escaped but for the house elf that had been freed in his second year. But Draco wasn’t sure they had escaped unscathed. Weasley and Granger vanished, Granger unconscious in Weasley’s arms but Bellatrix threw her knife at Potter, who had seized the goblin and the sword, and Dobby and it vanished with them. If it had hit Potter or the elf he had no idea as the black cloud that was Voldemort descended on the house. He trembled in his slippers as the Dark Lord’s rage broke over them. It was tempered slightly by the fact that they had indeed had Potter however briefly, but that didn’t stop the torture. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ron heaved Hermione up into his arms and into the cottage, Fleur came with him rushing for their first aid kit. Bill waited in the garden for Harriet to arrive. He jumped to his feet at Harriet’s cries from the garden begging for help but Bill was quicker and Fleur needed help with Hermione. He could only hope she wasn’t mortally wounded. The cries stopped after a moment and Bill came back in with the goblin. Ron raised an eyebrow at his brother. 

“Is Harriet alright?” Bill made a noncommittal noise as he toed open one of the doors and set the Goblin down on a bed within. He came back out and shut the door before he really answered Ron. 

“She seems alright but the elf’s dead.” Ron’s heart gave a twist as Bill retrieved a spade from a cabinet just inside the door. He left the house again but reappeared shortly without the spade. “She’s burying him just past the garden.” 

“I’d like to help, do you have a second spade?” Dean spoke from the doorway and Ron jumped. He’d forgotten with everything that had happened that Dean, Luna and Ollivander were here too. Bill nodded as Fleur bustled past them with several potion bottles. He retrieved a second spade and once assured that Hermione was out of danger Ron joined the two digging the grave. 

He could tell Harriet’s scar was burning, she had that faraway look in her eyes that she had gotten when she wore the horcrux for too long, or when Voldemort was being particularly violent. He could only imagine that she was viewing, in some part of her mind what was happening at the Malfoy Manor, to those they’d just escaped. When the grave was deep enough she took Dobby down into it herself, wrapped in her jacket, hiding the bloody knife wound. Ron pulled off his shoes and socks, putting them on the elf, he'd have liked that. Dean produced a knit cap from his pocket and slipped it over the elf’s head. 

“We should close his eyes.” It was Luna. The others had emerged from the house, except for Ollivander and the goblin. Ron heaved himself out of the grave and wrapped his arms around Hermione who smiled shakily at him. Luna’s thanks to the elf was sweet, though Ron knew she’d never met him before today. Harriet had tears in her eyes as she used Malfoy’s wand to carve a stone with the simple words ‘Here lies Dobby, a free elf’. 

And then it was back to business, there was still a war to fight, still Horcruxes to find and destroy. After speaking to Griphook and Ollivander and doing the barest amount of planning Fleur insisted that the three of them get some rest. The cottage was small and they ended up piled on the same bed, but none of them really minded. Hermione lay on top of Ron, his arm wrapped around her, the other had a hand wrapped in the fabric of Harriet’s shirt when she woke up and eased herself out of his grip. It was nice, being there and sure that they were all alive and whole for the moment. But they a bank heist to plan.


	23. Year Seven (3)

As they dropped off the sides of the dragon Harriet contemplated just how proud Hagrid would be of them for freeing the poor thing, even though they tore up Gringotts on the way out. Once the protective charms were cast on the edge of the lake it was hard not to laugh, breaking down from stress and fear as they relished in their success however partial, however fleeting. But soon after the laughter died pain spiked in Harriet’s scar and she was no longer on the bank of the lake. Instead she stood in a darkened room as Voldemort learned of their theft. He was worried, concerned now for the other pieces of his soul. The locket, the ring, the diadem. The lake, the shack and Hogwarts. Nagini would need to remain close now protected. 

Opening her eyes she found herself on the ground, Ron and Hermione standing over her and triumph in her heart. They would have to move fast, head to Hogsmeade and hope they could get past the protective enchantments and into the school mostly unnoticed. If they took the time to plan now as they had for the Ministry and Gringotts he would learn the truth of their mission, learn that the ring and locket were both destroyed, he might move the one at Hogwarts. As places to make a last stand it wasn’t ideal, being as it was full of innocent students, but they had no other option now. It was only a matter of time before he discovered how close they were to beating him. A hairs breadth from victory. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Neville hadn’t had the best year. Of course Harriet never showed up. Ron was apparently deathly ill, spatagroit, an unpleasant and highly contagious illness, and Hermione, well she wasn’t the only muggle born who didn’t show back up at Hogwarts. It wasn’t the same, without Dumbledore, without Harriet. The new Muggle Studies professor and her brother the new Dark Arts teacher were Death Eaters. So was Snape, and him sitting in the Headmaster’s office felt like an insult. Reforming the DA under the new regime wasn’t easy but quickly their numbers swelled as the number of students subjected to torture increased. Luna was taken off the train at Christmas, she did not return. They lost Ginny over the Easter Holiday but Neville would not give up fighting, he knew Harriet wouldn’t give up, so neither would he. Even in hiding he managed to rescue students within the walls of Hogwarts as the number of beds in the Room of Requirement swelled. Aberforth was a great help during that time, keeping them fed and supplied with what the Room couldn’t provide. The portrait had been quiet for a few days, they weren’t due for another supply run for a bit and Neville was listening to the radio marveling at the fact that Harriet, Hermione and by all appearances Ron, not dying of spatagroit after all, had stolen a dragon from Gringotts when a familiar voice cleared her throat. 

Ariana Dumbledore was sweet, her portrait the passage between the castle and Hogs Head bar. She also wasn’t supposed to be here for another week. Neville frowned his heart racing. Ariana smiled, nothing had happened to Aberforth then. She beckoned him forward. 

“You’ve got visitors Neville.” Her voice was soft and Neville frowned. Could Aberforth have been compromised? But Ariana was still smiling. 

“Visitors?” The room was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop if not for Lee on Potterwatch over the radio. Ariana smiled and nodded. 

“Harriet Potter is in the Hogs Head.” A ripple passed through the room and Neville held up a hand. 

“Shut up everyone, we don’t know if it’s really her yet. I’ll go down and check it out, if it’s her I’ll bring her back and we’ll go from there.” There were nods all around and Neville entered the passage. It was hard not to run full pelt down the passage, but if it wasn’t Harriet, just someone who looked like her, he wouldn’t risk the others in the Room. The portrait opened and he hopped down into the bar. They were ragged around the edges. Harriet’s hair had grown out of control, sitting below her hips now and still as wild as ever. All three were a bit leaner, a bit more sun touched. He pointed his wand at her and Ron and Hermione tensed. 

“What did I give Harriet Potter for her seventeenth birthday?” She smiled at him. 

“A gladiolus, inside a crystal pendant. You wanted to give me something small, something I could take with me. Something that meant something.” She pulled it out from under her shirt’s collar. He nearly dropped his wand in relief and rushed forward to embrace her. He pulled Ron and Hermione into hugs as well, then fingered the coin in his pocket. It had originally been Hermione’s way of contacting the DA, now it sounded the general call. She was here, they would be making a stand. 

He was a bit stunned that she was here only to look for something but convincing her to take a stand didn’t seem to take much. She and Luna, newly arrived, took off under the cloak to Ravenclaw tower. When they returned it was with news that Hogwarts was making a stand. Snape had fled, the Carrows beaten and bound. What came as a bigger surprise was when a Slytherin stood from their table and spoke, not to McGonagall but to Harriet. 

“Some of us want to stay, we want to help.” There were nods from a few of her fellows in green. Her voice was shaking and she had bruises on her face like Neville’s. “My mum was a Muggle and they killed her. Hogwarts is the only home I’ve got left and I’m not gonna let them take it from me too.” Harriet regarded her. 

“You seventeen?” She asked, the girl nodded. “Good we need all the help we can get.” McGonagall regarded Harriet for a moment before dismissing the younger students to the passage through to the Hogs Head. There were only a handful of Slytherins remaining, none that Harriet really recognized but they nodded to Kingsley who took charge of their group as everyone else seemed hesitant. Neville had never been prouder of her, or more cautious about one of her decisions. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The fight inside the Room of Requirement with Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle ended up with Crabbe dead and the Diadem breaking apart, the fiendfyre having stolen the life from within the metal frame of the tiara. Malfoy and Goyle didn’t seem up for anything else but Harriet, Ron and Hermione scrambled to their feet. There was only one left, just one more Horcrux then they could face down the man himself. They could finally end this. Watching Fred die made the world feel like it had fallen out from under them. Ron was sobbing with abandon as Percy tried desperately to wake up his brother. Leaving Fred’s body in a niche left behind by a suit of armor was hard but they needed to end this, put a stop to it before any others could die. 

Looking into Voldemort’s mind was easy now, he was not worried about her intrusion anymore. He knew where she was, and she knew where he was. Getting to the Shrieking Shack was a blur of battles and beasts, flashes of light and screams of the dead and dying. Harriet hated every moment of it. Hogwarts was her home, the first real home she’d ever known and now it was being ripped apart all because she had come back, because he was power mad and desperate to kill the one person who could be his undoing. Watching Snape die from the tunnel that led into the shack held no satisfaction for her, as she thought it might have. The short reprieve granted them by Voldemort, an hour for Harriet to hand herself over to him, to end the killing, allowed her to watch the memories Snape had given her. To learn the truth that Dumbledore had kept from her. 

The diary, the ring, the locket, the cup, the diadem, the snake and Harriet. Voldemort had ended up with seven after all, even though he didn’t know it. Her trip back down from Dumbledore’s office was purposeful, covered in the cloak, unseen by those gathering the dead and wounded. There was one Horcrux left, after she was gone and Ron and Hermione knew that. But if something happened to them. She need to leave a third, just in case. She spotted Neville as she reached the great oak doors. He was alone. Good. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Neville.” He jumped as Harriet pulled the cloak off her head, leaving it floating as though severed in front of him. 

“You scared me. What are you doing?” She shook her head. 

“There’s something I’ve got to do.” He cut her off. 

“You’re not going out there, you’re not handing yourself over?” She shook her head. 

“There’s a plan Nev.” Not technically a lie, not the whole truth, nothing more or less than Dumbledore had ever given her. “Ron and Hermione know but I wanted someone else to know, just in case. You know that snake He keeps with him. Calls it Nagini.” Neville nodded, reaching forward but with most of her invisible he could not tell where her hands were to take them. She seemed to shift back away from him. “It’s got to be killed Nev.” 

“Kill the snake?” He sounded like he was slightly questioning her priorities but she nodded. 

“Kill the snake.” He reached out brushing her loose hair back out of her face. 

“We’re gonna keep fighting, no matter what.” Her smile was fond, grateful almost as she nodded. 

“I know.” She pulled the cloak back over her head vanishing entirely. 

“Please don’t be going out there. Harriet please, what would it accomplish? Please don’t die for nothing.” But he wasn’t even sure she was still there. She made no reply as he carried Colin Creevey’s body back into the Great Hall. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It was growing late, the hour deadline swiftly approaching. Hagrid hoped that she wouldn’t come. He was bound, in what had been Aragog’s home, a captive of the Death Eaters. Yaxley and Dolohov returned, no sign of Harriet. Voldemort was disappointed. 

“I expected her to come. I was it seems mistaken.” 

“You weren’t.” 

The voice rang out through the trees and Harriet stepped out from behind a tree. Hagrid’s eyes went wide. She looked so young standing there surrounded by the darkness of the forest, staring down Voldemort, emptyhanded. She was not holding her wand. Hagrid’s protests were quickly silenced by one of the Death Eaters. Voldemort hadn’t even seemed to have noticed them. No he had eyes only for Harriet, and she eyes only for him. 

“Harriet Potter. The Girl Who Lived.” Hagrid struggled as Voldemort slowly almost lovingly raised his wand. “Avada Kedavra.” The green light raced across the clearing and struck Harriet in the chest. For an instant her features were lit up green. Then she fell, as though boneless to the forest floor. It was graceful, her hair flowing around her as she dropped the light stolen from bright green eyes. Nothing like how Voldemort fell. He cried out as though in unimaginable pain and crumpled. For a moment the whole clearing held its breath. Bellatrix was the one who moved to help her lord, though he rejected her. He sent Narcissa Malfoy to examine Harriet, to see if this time the killing curse had stuck. It took a moment but the blond haired Death Eater sat up triumph in her eyes. 

“She is dead!” Three words that broke Hagrid’s heart. He sobbed as the Death Eater’s rejoiced, as Harriet’s lifeless body was tossed about by Voldemort. But soon he collected himself. 

“Very good. Now we shall go up to the castle, let them see what has become of their savior. Narcissa, I want her recognizable, find her glasses, and pin her hair back so they can see her face.” He produced a familiar Gryffindor butterfly from under his sleeve tossing it to Narcissa who obeyed quickly. Voldemort turned to Hagrid. 

“You will carry her, she will be nice and visible in your arms.” Hagrid was sobbing, careful when he picked her up, as careful as he had been all those years ago when he had taken her from Sirius at her parents house. He stepped carefully as he was forced at wandpoint to carry Harriet back up to the castle. His anger flared again when he spotted the centaurs watching them pass. 

“You happy now! Now that Harriet’s d-dead!” His sorrow once again claimed his attention as he looked down at the pale figure in his arms as they approached the castle. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The announcement echoed through the school in the cold sharp voice they all knew to belong to Voldemort. Neville stood frozen for a moment. Then McGonagall raced past him, Ron and Hermione hot on her heels and he knew he had to see, had to be sure. But there was no denying who it was laying in Hagrid’s arms, still and pale in death. Voldemorts mocking lies were too much for him. He broke free of the crowd, unsure what he could do but unwilling to let this monster who had killed her slander her in death. He was quickly subdued, he should have known it was stupid but he couldn’t let this continue. The sorting hat was forced onto his head and set aflame. But the body bind seemed unable to hold him and he swept off the hat feeling something solid within. Reaching into the still flaming hat he drew forth the sword of Godric Gryffindor. 

He did not take a moment to marvel at the thing he’d just managed to do, the thing only one other Gryffindor had managed to do in their lifetimes. Instead he took advantage of the moment, of the scattering Death Eaters of the confusion caused by the reinforcements approaching the castle. He swung the silver blade, sending the head of the snake spinning into the air as Voldemort screamed. He would have done more but a shield, strong and seemingly impenetrable, had sprung up between him and Voldemort. Then Hagrid cried out. Harriet had vanished from his arms, vanished seemingly entirely. But he had no time to contemplate what might have happened to her as the wave of people, Death Eater’s or not were forced back into the castle by the battling giants. He slashed at Fenrir Greyback and the werewolf howled but was stunned from behind by Ron and Hermione who both had fire in their eyes, anger at the loss of their friend boiling through both of them. Hermione vanished to help against Bellatrix and Ron nodded to Neville. The Death Eaters were falling all around them. Only Bellatrix and Voldemort himself remained though Molly Weasley made quick work of Bellatrix after a killing curse narrowly missed Ginny. Then a voice echoed through the hall, a voice that he had never thought he would hear again. 

“Protego!” A shield blossomed between Molly and Voldemort as Harriet pulled off the invisibility cloak one handed her wand trained on Voldemort who looked just as shocked as the others that she was alive. Neville did not understand everything she said as Voldemort and Harriet circled each other. He did not know what a Horcrux was, he had no idea why the Elder Wand was so important. He did not care about Snape or Malfoy. All that mattered to him was that when they struck it was not Harriet who hit the floor, but Voldemort. She stood for a moment two wands in her hands, Voldemort dead directly across from her then the cheering started and the crowd rushed her celebrating an end at last to the war and fear. It was some time before he got a moment alone with her. He caught up to her on the way up to Gryffindor tower, caught her hand as they walked. Nothing was said, nothing needed to be said for now. 

They fell into an armchair in the common room and she was asleep in his arms before a moment had passed. Only then did he allow himself to breathe, to appreciate that it was over at last, that the girl curled up in his lap had won at long last. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, carefully tossing Gryffindor’s sword onto a nearby table. He wrapped his arms around her and fell asleep himself, a smile on both their faces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it for this one. If yall want more Harriet Content let me know in the comments I have some ideas for an After Hogwarts/eighth year type of thing.

**Author's Note:**

> Just for safety sake I don't own Harry Potter, nor do I condone the things the author has said. This idea just wouldn't leave me alone.


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